by Kris Osborn, Warrior
Lasers, hypersonics, AI-enabled targeting and paradigm-changing stealth are several of the areas of explosive technological growth expected to accompany the arrival of the F-47 … the new 6th-generation stealth fighter now blasting foreward into the operational sphere of the US Air Force.
US Air Force Chief of Staff David Allvin confirmed that indeed, the first F-47 is starting production, a move which could signal the beginning of a large fleet of next-generation stealth fighters. “We’ve got to go fast,” were words used at the Air Force Association symposium by Allvin upon referencing the need to produce F-47s quickly and ensure the jet is operational by 2028.
Urgent need for F-47
The intensity of the intended pace of production, and the stated goal of acquiring more than 185 F-47s reveal the sense of urgency with which the Pentagon is pursuing the aircraft. The mention of 185 jets as a notional minimum is something attributed to Allvin, as cited by Air & Space Force’s Magazine. At the same time, it would make sense if the Air Force ultimately pursued a much larger fleet of F-47s given the current threat circumstance. The emergence of AI, stealth and long-range weapons and sensors has not fully displaced or removed the importance of deploying a large force. This may be why Boeing has already started construction of the first to-be-operational F-47, something which makes sense given the need for the 6th-gen stealth jet.
Production capacity is a significant element of this, particularly given China’s well known capability to produce large quantities of aircraft quickly, in large measure due to the country’s often discussed civil-military fusion. Boeing is perhaps well suited to conduct a large scale production operation of the F-47, given its decades of experience building commercial and military airplanes; for instance, Boeing’s large scale production of the B-52 and F-15 have been largely successful over the years, so it stands to reason that Boeing could be well positioned to launch a massive, efficient and well-coordinated F-47 production operation.
China 6th Gen
There are likely several key reasons why the jet is being fast-tracked and in such high demand, one of which doubtless relates to the arrival of public photos of several new Chinese stealth fighters believed to be 6th-gen aircraft. Captured photos of the PLA Air Force Chengdu J-36 show a three-engine blended wing-body stealth fighter-bomber hybrid, and images of a 6th-gen Shenyang J-50 reveal a two-engine stealth aircraft with a design similar to US industry renderings of a notional 6th-gen NGAD design. The Shenyang aircraft also looks like 6th-generation images of a Chinese aircraft released several years ago by the Chinese state-owned Global Times newspaper. This 6th-gen rendering, published by the Global Times several years ago, was written about in Warrior Maven in an essay in February of 2023. This image of a 6th-gen fighter published in the Chinese paper looked similar to previously published defense industry renderings of the US Air Force’s 6th-gen NGAD. The 2023 Global Times article describes the tailless, finless aircraft configuration as a “blended wing-body design” able to provide “higher lift, longer range and lower fuel consumption.”
2,000 mile range
The potential 2,000 mile range of the F-47 is yet another reason why the Pentagon urgently needs the aircraft. Should the F-47s combat radius truly be 1,000 miles, with an overall range of 2,000 miles, the 6th-gen fighter could essentially double the reach of the F-35, something of great tactical significance in the Pacific theater given its geographical expanse.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University