The US Air Force has started building the first F-47, the service’s sixth-generation stealth fighter, with a maiden flight targeted for 2028, according to Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin.

He disclosed the milestone during a keynote at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber conference on 22 September, saying the service is “beginning to manufacture the first article” and is “ready to go fast.”

The Air Force has not detailed the precise stage of fabrication. Officials have previously acknowledged a prototype lineage developed under a classified campaign, and the 2028 objective is regarded as ambitious given technology dependencies such as a next-generation engine, which faces funding and schedule pressure.

The F-47 is intended to replace the F-22 Raptor and anchor the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems alongside uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft and advanced weapons. The programme’s recent history includes a pause under the Biden administration and subsequent approval under the current administration, culminating in a high-profile Oval Office briefing in March announcing Boeing as prime.

Budget materials indicate sustained investment through the latter part of the decade. Department of the Air Force FY26 documentation and related summaries show significant research, development and test funding, while congressional analysis notes a FY26 request for system development and demonstration on the F-47 line. Officials have suggested that an initial operational capability could be declared before the formal end of development, depending on test outcomes.

Industrial preparations are advancing in parallel. Boeing has been expanding its St Louis fighter-aircraft footprint, with local and trade reports citing a multibillion-dollar build-out to support future production and sections of the F-47 facility due to open from 2026. The company declined comment on Allvin’s remarks, but site expansion timelines align with the programme’s planned ramp.

Leadership commentary at AFA 2025 underscored the operational context. Air Force Secretary Dr Troy E. Meink, confirmed earlier this year, focused on readiness and modernisation, warning that platforms must survive in contested environments and that some legacy systems will require tougher prioritisation. In separate remarks, he said there is “almost no such thing as a permissive environment,” framing the case for survivable, networked capabilities such as the F-47.

The service is also managing leadership transition. Gen Allvin, who announced in August that he will retire later this year, used his AFA appearance to set out near-term milestones for the fighter while avoiding succession questions. Meink said the change at the top would not leave a gap in command.

Key risks to watch are concentrated in propulsion, mission-systems integration and secure data links, as well as the affordability of scaling production. Engine timelines and funding profiles will be critical to the 2028 flight objective and to the configuration of the early test aircraft. Oversight attention will also track the St Louis production cadence and workforce dynamics as Boeing and suppliers move from first article to low-rate build.

Taken together, Allvin’s 2028 target, the active manufacturing start, and the industrial build-out signal a transition from prototyping to fabrication for the crewed centrepiece of NGAD. The principal questions over the next 12–24 months are whether propulsion and mission-system maturity keep pace with the airframe schedule, and whether budget decisions sustain the tempo needed to hold to first flight by 2028.