F‑47 & Autonomous Wingmen Take Flight
The Department of Defense’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal signals a transformative leap in American airpower, allocating over $4 billion to usher in the next generation of manned and unmanned aerial combat systems. Central to this investment are two complementary platforms: the F‑47 sixth-generation stealth fighter and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) autonomous drones.
$3.5 Billion for the F‑47: The Next Generation of Air Superiority
In testimony before Congress, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined a $3.5 billion investment in the F‑47, a cutting-edge platform developed under the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative. Boeing, which secured the primary contract, is tasked with delivering approximately 185 aircraft—each built for stealth, extended range, and streamlined sustainment.
According to Gen. Dan Caine, Chair of the Joint Chiefs, the F‑47 is the world’s first true sixth-generation fighter. Its projected combat radius exceeds 1,000 nautical miles, a substantial improvement over the F‑22 and F‑35, and it boasts speeds exceeding Mach 2. The fighter also integrates advanced sensor fusion, electronic warfare capabilities, and adaptive engine technology, designed to give the U.S. a decisive edge in contested airspace.
$804 Million for CCA: Autonomous Wingmen Take Off
In tandem with the F‑47, the Pentagon is dedicating $804 million to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. These stealth drones—produced by firms like General Atomics and Anduril—are expected to fly alongside manned aircraft, executing suppression of enemy defenses, electronic warfare, and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) tasks.
These CCAs will offer a combat radius of over 700 nautical miles, and are designed to operate semi-independently under human command. Over 1,000 CCAs are projected to be procured in total. The Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit at Nellis AFB was recently upgraded to squadron level, signaling rapid maturation of the program as it integrates into the service’s Virtual Warfare Center for advanced simulation and live testing.
Strategic & Budgetary Context
The 2026 budget underscores a shift toward multi-domain, networked warfare—with human pilots working in tandem with smart, expendable drones. Hegseth described this as “projecting power more robustly” while reducing risk to human life and compressing kill chains.
While the Air Force forges ahead, tensions remain with the Navy’s delayed F/A-XX program, which lacks similar funding momentum. The House Appropriations Committee’s draft 2026 bill boosts overall defense spending to $831.5 billion, including more F‑35s and $3.8 billion for B‑21 bombers, but does not allocate significant support to sixth-gen naval air assets.
Export challenges also loom. Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall noted that allies may hesitate to purchase the F‑47 due to its estimated $180 million unit cost, more than double that of the F‑35. A “downgraded export model” may be under discussion, but U.S. foreign military sales strategy will need to evolve to support partner interoperability and defense-industrial alignment.
Outlook: Toward Operational Readiness
Both the F‑47 and CCAs are on track for operational capability between 2025 and 2029, with NGAD demonstrators already flying as early as 2019. Flight tests for CCAs are expected by the end of this fiscal year, and adaptive engine selection (GE’s XA102 or Pratt & Whitney’s XA103) is underway to finalize propulsion architecture.
This budget cycle makes clear that the U.S. is moving beyond the fifth-generation era. With F‑47s commanding the skies and autonomous CCAs reshaping the rules of engagement, the Pentagon is betting big on a vision of human-machine teaming that redefines the future of air dominance.
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