The NGAD demonstrators from Boeing and Lockheed Martin have logged hundreds of flight hours since 2019.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) reported on this.

The demonstrators were developed as part of reducing development risks and presented as so-called X-planes, that is, experimental technology prototypes.

“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,” Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Allvin reported.

Under research and development contracts with DARPA, Boeing and Lockheed Martin designed two X-planes as risk reduction for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform. These aircraft first flew in 2019 and 2022, logging several hundred hours each.

General Allvin stated that the U.S. had become the first country to receive a ready sixth-generation aircraft, the development of which took place in secrecy, catching potential adversaries by surprise and allowing the U.S. to maintain air superiority.

He also added that, compared to the F-22, the F-47 will be less expensive and more adaptable to future threats.

“We will have more of these aircraft in our arsenal. The F-47 will have a significantly longer range, more advanced stealth, be more sustainable, supportable, and have higher availability than our fifth-generation fighter jets. This platform is designed with a “built to adapt” mindset and will take significantly less manpower and infrastructure to deploy,” Gen. David Allvin, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, noted.

Currently, as the winner of the Next Generation Air Dominance program, Boeing will be developing the prototype of a new aircraft, which will undergo the appropriate testing phase before serial production of the new aircraft begins.

Exact timelines have not been disclosed by either the U.S. Air Force or other committees. Still, considering the general trend in prototype development and bringing the product to serial production, it could take anywhere between 5 and 10 years.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Pentagon selected Boeing’s project in the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) competition to develop a promising sixth-generation fighter jet, designated the F-47.

The Pentagon will award Boeing a contract to develop the F-47 under the NGAD program, investing over $20 billion in the aircraft development and production.