US says F-47 will be first sixth-gen jet. China’s J-36 and J-50 are already flying
Washington is “not too far away” from a production line for its F-47 sixth-generation fighter, a senior US Air Force official has said, as China presses ahead with flight-testing two different next-generation combat aircraft of its own. During a virtual event hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on Monday, Brigadier General Timothy Helfrich, the service’s portfolio acquisition…
The United States is nearing the production of its F-47 sixth-generation fighter, according to a senior Air Force official. This aircraft is set to become the world's first sixth-generation fighter, with its first flight targeted for 2028, just before President Donald Trump's term ends in January 2029. Meanwhile, China is continuing to test two different next-generation combat aircraft, the J-36 and J-50, which have been observed on test flights since December 2024.
These Chinese programs lack detailed information, making direct comparisons difficult. The US Navy has chosen Boeing, already developing the F-47, for its F/A-XX carrier-based fighter under a development contract worth over $20 billion, placing both US sixth-generation fighter programs under the same roof. This decision underscores the strategic importance of fighter production capacity for the United States.
With only three active fighter lines – for the F-35, F-15EX, and F-16 – the F-47 represents a significant addition to US capabilities. The aircraft is expected to have a combat radius of over 1,000 nautical miles (1,850km) and is designed to be much more survivable than existing fifth-generation aircraft.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
