In a landmark decision for the United States Air Force, US President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that Boeing has been awarded a $20 billion contract to develop and produce the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter jet. This sixth-generation aircraft is set to replace Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter jet.
“After a rigorous and thorough competition between some of America’s top aerospace companies, the [US] Air Force is going to be awarding the contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance to Boeing,” Trump announced during a press briefing. “It will be known as the F-47.”
The NGAD program is a cornerstone of the USAF’s strategy to maintain air superiority in the face of evolving global threats. The program is designed as a “family of systems,” with the sixth-generation fighter jet as the central element. The crewed aircraft will be designed to operate seamlessly alongside unmanned drones, known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), to execute various missions.
While specific design details remain classified, the aircraft is anticipated to feature stealth capabilities, advanced sensors, and next-generation propulsion systems. The engineering and manufacturing development contract, valued at over $20 billion, positions Boeing to receive additional orders potentially worth hundreds of billions over the program’s multi-decade lifespan.
This contract award represents a pivotal victory for Boeing, particularly benefiting its fighter jet production facility in St. Louis, Missouri. The company has faced challenges in both its commercial and defense sectors in recent years. In January 2025, when presenting its fourth-quarter 2024 results, Boeing disclosed an additional $1.7 billion in defense-related charges. The NGAD contract is expected to serve as a foundational component of Boeing’s defense business moving forward, especially as its F/A-18 production line approaches closure.
The selection of Boeing over Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of both fifth-generation fighters currently operated by the USAF, namely the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II, marks a significant shift in the defense contracting landscape. The move is particularly notable in light of Lockheed’s exclusion earlier in March 2025 from the US Navy’s F/A-XX program, its next-generation carrier-based stealth fighter competition, which left Boeing and Northrop Grumman as the remaining contenders
