Air Force to Build $1.057B F-47 Test Complex
The Air Force plans to invest $1.057 billion in a Nevada complex to test Boeing's sixth-generation F-47 stealth fighter.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Military
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The U.S. Air Force plans to invest $1.057 billion in a complex at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to test the F-47 stealth fighter developed by Boeing. The Air Force expects to award the first contract in February 2027.
Why it matters
The F-47 is designed to gradually replace the F-22 Raptor and will incorporate stealth technology, advanced sensors and electronic warfare systems. The facility is meant to support operations, maintenance and training for the aircraft, along with coordination of collaborative combat aircraft.
The plan carries a $1.057 billion price tag, with about nine months of design and preparation followed by roughly 40 months of construction. The F-47 is projected to exceed Mach 2 and reach more than 1,600 kilometers in combat radius, but the schedule remains a forecast.
The players
Boeing
Boeing is a major American aerospace manufacturer that developed the F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter.
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Nevada that will host the planned F-47 test complex.
The details
The complex will include a roughly 10,870-square-meter hangar for operations and maintenance, a nearly 3,800-square-meter simulator, a lab to reprogram mission systems, and an aircraft parking apron. It will also house facilities for maintenance, training and corrosion control for stealth materials.
Timeline
February 2027: Air Force expects to award the first contract.
Early March 2031: Main facilities are expected to be finished.
Roadmap
The F-47 is set to gradually replace the F-22 Raptor, extending the Air Force's stealth fighter lineage into a sixth generation. The planned Nevada complex signals how the service is building dedicated infrastructure around the next generation of crewed and collaborative combat aircraft.
For taxpayers, the plan represents a $1.057 billion federal investment in military infrastructure. The timeline runs through a February 2027 contract award and an early 2031 completion target for the main facilities.
The takeaway
The F-47 program shows the Air Force committing substantial funding to the infrastructure needed to support sixth-generation fighters and their accompanying drones. Readers tracking defense spending can watch the February 2027 contract award as the next concrete milestone.
What happens next
The Air Force expects to award the first contract in February 2027, with main facilities expected to be finished in early March 2031.
Further reading
For more on the Air Force's next-generation programs, see Military coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by El Cronista.
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