The United States Air Force’s F-47, built by Boeing, is its newest sixth-generation fighter aircraft. It is designed to meet future combat needs by combining advanced stealth, modern sensors, and the ability to work closely with unmanned systems. It is expected to be the successor of the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor.
 
At the ongoing meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Donald Trump described the F-47 as ‘the most devastating fighter jet plane’ ever. "They called it 47. If I don't like it, I'm going to take the 47 off it. I wonder why they called it 47? What to think about. But if I don't like it, I'm going to take that 47 off," he added.
 
The F-47 reflects the US history and heritage in the fighter jet segment. While the letter ‘F’ stands for ‘Fighter’, a standard US designation for all military-grade combat aircraft, the number ‘47’ refers to the year 1947, when the USAF became independent from the US Army.
 

US F-47: Features

- Built by: Boeing

- Cost: USD 300 million (approximately)

- Top speed: Mach 2

- Design: The design of the plane is influenced by Boeing’s YF-118G Bird of Prey.

- The sixth-generation fighter jet is expected to take its maiden flight by 2028. However, the full integration of the aircraft within the operational service is expected to occur by mid 2030s.

- The aircraft will feature a canard design, meaning smaller wings near the cockpit, thereby giving it the ability to make high-precision turns with accurate agility.

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- With a combat radius of more than 1,000 nautical miles, the F-47 will have 70 per cent greater reach than the previous F-22.

- One of the highlights of the F-47 will be the propulsion system, with the deployment of the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) engines set to be fitted into these fighter aircraft.

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- The NGAP engines could adjust the airflow and power according to the different phases of the flight, thereby boosting the speed and efficiency of the aircraft.

- Another notable feature of the aircraft is its ability to operate alongside Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, enabling coordinated missions with unmanned systems.

- It also incorporates advanced stealth shaping materials in its structural designs to reduce its radar signature.