Boeing has secured a landmark $20 billion contract to develop the United States Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter jet. The sixth-generation stealth aircraft, designated the F-47, is slated to replace Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor as the USAF’s premier air superiority fighter in the 2030s.
The NGAD program is the USAF’s ambitious effort to field the world’s first sixth-generation fighter, focused on securing air superiority in future conflicts against peer adversaries like China and Russia.
President Donald Trump announced Boeing’s selection on March 21, 2025, after a rigorous competition, marking a major upset over rival Lockheed Martin for the coveted program.
Envisioned as a long-range, stealthy aircraft with advanced sensors and weapons, the NGAD platform is critical to maintaining air supremacy in highly contested environments like the Indo-Pacific, where the F-22 and F-35 might struggle against next-generation threats.
“The F-47 will be the most advanced, most capable, most lethal aircraft ever built,” Trump commented while announcing the contract award.
The program has been kept largely under wraps for over a decade. A prototype demonstrator first flew in 2020 in secret tests. While many design specifics remain classified, the F-47 is anticipated to feature low-observable stealth shaping, adaptive propulsion systems for improved range and performance, and the capability to operate alongside autonomous drones.
The Boeing F-47: a sixth-generation fighter spearheading a ‘family of systems’
Several parallel efforts will unfold to support NGAD. A key one is the adaptive engine development: Pratt & Whitney and GE are vying to build the F-47’s powerplant under the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program.
This engine will feature variable-cycle technology that can dynamically adjust its bypass airflow, enabling better fuel efficiency for long-range cruise and maximum thrust when needed. Both engine makers received new contracts in January 2025 to continue maturing these advanced turbofans.
In tandem, the USAF’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative is moving forward to create the armed drones that will fly with the F-47. Companies like General Atomics and Anduril are already competing to produce the first wave of CCA “loyal wingman” drones, with a prototype flight expected as soon as 2026.
The plan is to eventually field hundreds of low-cost autonomous aircraft that can accompany F-47s on missions, performing roles from surveillance to electronic warfare or even strike missions. This strategy for a distributed team aims to overwhelm enemies with sheer numbers and capabilities while keeping human pilots in a command role safely away from threats.
Boeing beats Lockheed Martin in high-stakes competition
Boeing’s victory over Lockheed Martin for the NGAD contract marks a seismic shift in the defense aerospace landscape. As the maker of both fifth-generation fighters currently operated by the USAF, namely the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II, Lockheed had long dominated stealth fighter production. Northrop Grumman was an early contender, leveraging its B-21 strategic bomber expertise, but publicly bowed out in 2023.
For Boeing, the NGAD win is a major boost and a lifeline for its fighter manufacturing hub in in St. Louis, Missouri. The company’s defense unit has struggled with costly delays and losses on recent contracts, from the KC-46 tanker (over $7 billion in overruns) to the new Air Force One. In January 2025, when presenting its fourth-quarter 2024 results, Boeing disclosed an additional $1.7 billion in defense-related charges.
Its F/A-18 Super Hornet line winding down by 2027 raised concerns about the future of Boeing’s fighter business. NGAD now secures Boeing’s place in the next generation of combat aircraft, ensuring it retains critical engineering talent and production capacity.
“We recognize the importance of designing, building and delivering a 6th-generation fighter capability for the United States Air Force,” said Steve Parker, interim president and chief executive officer, Boeing Defense, Space & Security. “In preparation for this mission, we made the most significant investment in the history of our defense business, and we are ready to provide the most advanced and innovative NGAD aircraft needed to support the mission.”
Lockheed Martin, meanwhile, faces a significant setback. In a statement, the company said it was “disappointed” in the outcome but “confident we delivered a competitive solution”, indicating it will engage with the Air Force for feedback.
This loss comes on the heels of Lockheed’s elimination from the Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation fighter competition, which now leaves Boeing and Northrop as the finalists for the Navy’s future carrier-based stealth jet. With NGAD and F/A-XX off the table, the manufacturer is effectively shut out of US sixth-generation fighter programs for now.
Lockheed will continue to build and upgrade the fifth-generation F-35, over 1,100 of which are already in service globally, but losing NGAD narrows its fighter franchise as the Pentagon pivots to new systems.