We are already getting more information about the F-47’s origins. Both Boeing and Lockheed Martin built an x-plane in their quest to win the manned tactical fighter component of the Next Generation Air Dominance initiative. As we already knew, a demonstrator first flew in 2019. Now we know another one took to the skies in 2022.
To catch up on everything we know about the F-47, as well as our initial analysis, click here.
Air Force Chief of Staff David Allvin released a statement following the award to Boeing, saying that “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.” At the time it was not clear that both of the finalists had flown demonstrator aircraft.
The revelation comes from a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) release regarding the F-47 contract award. In it, the ‘bleeding edge’ defense tech agency says its involvement with what became the F-47 began in 2014 as part of the Air Dominance Initiative study, which resulted in its Aerospace Innovation Initiative. The release also quotes DARPA Acting Director Rob McHenry as stating:
“It is often only in future decades when DARPA’s disruptive impact can be unveiled – today, we’re proud to be able to share the 10-year DARPA research arc that has culminated in the F-47 program, defining the next era of American air dominance.”
The crewed sixth-generation combat jet component of NGAD traces its roots back to a requirement for what was originally termed a Penetrating Counter-Air (PCA) platform, ostensibly to succeed the F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, which emerged publicly in the mid-2010s. This, in turn, was an outgrowth of aforementioned work the Air Force had done in cooperation with DARPA. Frank Kendall, the previous Secretary of the Air Force, was heavily involved in those efforts while he had the position of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
It had been claimed that up to three demonstrator aircraft flew as part of the secretive program in recent years. It’s possible that Northrop Grumman, which elected to drop out of the program around 2023 to focus on other priorities such as the B-21 Raider, and the upcoming Navy 6th generation fighter program that is also under the name NGAD, also flew a demonstrator, but the existence of it was withheld. At the same time, these claims could have been inaccurate as they were never confirmed, and just demonstrators from Lockheed Martin and Boeing entered the flight test environment.
DARPA also states that both Boeing’s and Lockheed Martin’s x-planes flew “several hundred hours each” during the evaluation. It’s unclear what the state of these aircraft are now. They could have served their finite purpose — not uncommon for flight demonstration vehicles with limited airframe hours designed into them — or they could continue to support NGAD and other programs, we just don’t know. Boeing’s aircraft could remain of particular value.
Regardless, the fact that both have flown so many hours means that substantial risk was reduced, especially if they were somewhat production representative, which is a more common development tactic in an age of digital engineering and advanced rapid manufacturing. This also means the decision to choose Boeing was based on a lot of real performance data via flight testing, presumably in a quasi head-to-head manner. This may be a large factor in whether or not Lockheed Martin moves to protest the award decision.
Hopefully we will get additional details about the F-47 and its developmental history in the near term, but in just two days the picture of what led to it is becoming clearer.
Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com