Pentagon Seeks Extra $400 Million to Speed Up Development of F-47 Sixth-Generation Fighter

The Pentagon has officially requested an additional $400 million to push forward the development of its newest fighter jet, the F-47, which is part of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. This fresh funding is aimed at supporting Boeing’s work on building the F-47 prototype and getting ready for future production.

So far, the NGAD program has already cost the U.S. Department of Defense around $8.73 billion, with $2.33 billion spent just in 2024. However, these numbers mainly reflect the official research and development contracts, meaning the real costs, including infrastructure, manufacturing preparations, and training, could be even higher.

In March 2025, the Pentagon announced Boeing as the winner of the NGAD competition, a major step that secured over $20 billion in funding for the full development and production of the F-47. The U.S. Air Force confirmed that both Boeing and Lockheed Martin had built and flown experimental demonstrator aircraft under the X-Plane program since 2019, gathering hundreds of hours of flight testing. This effort was critical to lowering technical risks and testing new technologies for sixth-generation fighters.

Boeing had revealed its demonstrator as early as 2019, while Lockheed Martin showed off its prototype in 2022. These secretive projects have helped the U.S. make rapid advancements in fighter technology, keeping ahead of potential global rivals.

General David Allvin emphasized that the United States became the first country to field a sixth-generation aircraft. He explained that the F-47 was developed largely in secrecy to maintain an advantage over adversaries. He also highlighted that the F-47 would be more affordable and flexible compared to the older F-22, making it better suited for future threats.

The additional $400 million, if approved, will help keep the momentum going as the U.S. moves closer to introducing the F-47 into its air fleet and maintaining its air dominance well into the future.