US Air Force combat-aviation program development

The United States Air Force is advancing several flagship combat-aviation programs. During a conference in Dayton, Ohio, General Dale White stated that the Boeing F-47 sixth-generation fighter has entered the engineering and manufacturing development phase with “unprecedented” maturity, with a first flight targeted for 2028.

Subsequent reports indicate the Air Force has designated a base for the F-47, though the specific location remains classified. The Department of the Interior has commissioned a two-year environmental impact study to facilitate this process. Analysts suggest Langley-Eustis Air Force Base in Virginia may be the site, as it currently hosts the F-22 Raptor fleet that the F-47 is intended to replace. Under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative, the program aims to have its first prototype in flight before January 20, 2029.

Other ongoing aviation efforts include the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider bomber, which is seeing a 25% increase in industrial capacity with deployment planned for 2027, and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which is moving into early production with prototypes from Anduril and General Atomics.