USAF Chief greets Boeing F-47 NGAD
March 21, 2025
During the Oval Office briefing announcing the selection of the Boeing F-47, General Allvin gave a brief speech, during which he pointed out that it was a big day for the United States Air Force, explaining that “Air dominance is not a birthright, but it’s become synonymous with American air power. Air Dominance needs to be earned every single day, and since the earliest days of aerial warfare, brave American airmen have jumped into their machines, taken to the air, and they’ve cleared the skies, whether that be clearing the skies so we can bring down destruction from above, or so that we can clear the path for the ground forces below. That’s been our commitment to the fight. That’s really been our promise to America, and with this F-47 as the crown jewel in the Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems, we’re going to be able to keep that promise well into the future.”
Allvin has described the F-24 as being “the most advanced, lethal, and adaptable fighter ever developed, designed to outpace, outmanoeuvre, and outmatch any adversary that dares to challenge our Airmen.” Crucially, he pointed out that: “The manner in which we put this program together puts more control in the hands of the government so we can update and adapt at the speed of relevance, at the speed of technology, not at the speed of your partners.” Unlike the heavily vendor-locked and Lockheed controlled F-35, the Intellectual Property of the F-47 will be ‘owned’ and controlled by the DoD, allowing more open competition for sustainment, support and even upgrades.
In the Oval Office he elaborated on the President’s “many many drones” comments, explaining that using the aircraft alongside the new unmanned collaborative combat aircraft would allow the US to: “look into the future and unlock the magic that is human machine teaming. And as we do that, we’re going to write the next generation of modern aerial warfare.” Many believe that the CCAs will become ever more important and significant, representing the future-facing side of the NGAD business construct.
Allvin’s statement later the same day is worth reproducing in full.
“The Next Generation Air Dominance Platform (the F-47) contract is a monumental leap forward in securing America’s air superiority for decades to come. This contract reaffirms our commitment to maintaining the United States’ position as the world’s most dominant Air Force, under the direction and leadership of our Commander in Chief, President Trump, and Secretary of Defense Hegseth.
“With the F-47, we are not just building another fighter – we are shaping the future of warfare and putting our enemies on notice. This platform will be the most advanced, lethal, and adaptable fighter ever developed – designed to outpace, outmaneuver, and outmatch any adversary that dares to challenge our brave Airmen.
“Despite what our adversaries claim, the F-47 is truly the world’s first crewed sixth-generation fighter, built to dominate the most capable peer adversary and operate in the most perilous threat environments imaginable. For the past five years, the X-planes for this aircraft have been quietly laying the foundation for the F-47 — flying hundreds of hours, testing cutting-edge concepts, and proving that we can push the envelope of technology with confidence. These experimental aircraft have demonstrated the innovations necessary to mature the F-47’s capabilities, ensuring that when we committed to building this fighter, we knew we were making the right investment for America.
“While our X-planes were flying in the shadows, we were cementing our air dominance – accelerating the technology, refining our operational concepts, and proving that we can field this capability faster than ever before. Because of this, the F-47 will fly during President Trump’s administration.
“In addition, the F-47 has unprecedented maturity. While the F-22 is currently the finest air superiority fighter in the world, and its modernization will make it even better, the F-47 is a generational leap forward. The maturity of the aircraft at this phase in the program confirms its readiness to dominate the future fight.
“Compared to the F-22, the F-47 will cost less and be more adaptable to future threats – and we will have more of the F-47s in our inventory. The F-47 will have significantly longer range, more advanced stealth, be more sustainable, supportable, and have higher availability than our fifth-generation fighters. This platform is designed with a “built to adapt” mindset and will take significantly less manpower and infrastructure to deploy.
“Our mission is clear. We will ensure America’s skies remain secure and our deterrence remains unshakable. With the F-47, we will strengthen our global position, keeping our enemies off-balance and at bay. And when they look up, they will see nothing but the certain defeat that awaits those who dare to challenge us – ‘Airpower Anytime, Anywhere’ is not just an aspiration, it’s a promise.”
