F-47 Production Line 'Not Too Far Away', Air Force General Says
The US Air Force's F-47 sixth-generation fighter program is making significant progress towards setting up a full production line, according to Brig. Gen. Timothy Helfrich, the service's Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft.
Boeing, the prime contractor for the program, is in the midst of a nearly $2 billion expansion to its facilities in St. Louis, Missouri. The company has been working on the project since 2023, with parts of the new facility expected to open in 2026 ahead of the full completion in 2030.
Helfrich stated that there are only three active fighter production lines currently, and the Air Force needs to grow or maximize these existing lines. The F-47 program aims to add a new production line to increase capacity, which is 'not too far away,' according to Helfrich.
The first flight of the F-47 is still targeted for 2028, with the goal of production jets entering operational service in the early 2030s. The Air Force plans to acquire at least 185 of these jets, making it a strategic asset and crucial to maintaining sufficient operational capacity across its fighter fleets.
The F-47 will be the world's first sixth-generation fighter, bringing more survivability and lethality than any previous aircraft. It will have full open architecture, enabling rapid upgrades and allowing it to combat threats in highly contested environments.