The United States, since 1941, has relied heavily in air power. In fact, it was World War II that taught us the value of air power. Air power was a large part of our World War II victories. Since then, almost every action the United States military has fought has been under the umbrella of air superiority, if not outright air domination. We've been able to do this in no small part by having the best aircraft available at the time, from the Grumman F-6F Hellcat and the North American Aviation P-51 Mustang fighters to the modern-day Lockheed Martin–Boeing F-22 Raptor fighter and the Northrup B-2 Spirit bomber.
Now in development is the next generation, the F-47 fighter and the B-21 bomber, and according to at least one source in the United States Air Force, they are ahead of schedule.
Work on the B-21 Raider bomber and the F-47 sixth-generation fighter are ahead of schedule, the Air Force general in charge of development of both projects said last week.
Gen. Dale White, director of Critical Major Weapon Systems, spoke July 29 at the Life Cycle Industry Days in Dayton, Ohio.
White said that the B-21 stealth bomber, currently undergoing advanced flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California, would join an operational squadron next year.
The first of what the U.S. Air Force hopes will one day be a force of 100 B-21 bombers will be “on the ramp” at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in 2027, White said.
The bomber first flew at Edwards in November 2023 and the second in September 2025. Plans call for Northrop Grumman to produce seven operational bombers per year, White said.
As for the F-47:
White also said planning for the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter was in a state of “unprecedented maturity.”
“The F-47 will fly in this administration,” White said in his speech.
The Air Force plans to acquire 185 of the Boeing-built jets with a first flight scheduled for 2028. It will replace the F-22 Raptor as the Air Force’s main interceptor and air superiority fighter.
That's good news, but look at the numbers: 100 B-21 bombers and 185 B-47 fighters. At present there are 187 F-22 Raptors, and that bird is our primary air-superiority fighter. There are close to 500 F-35s, but in bombers, the B-2 that the B-21 is intended to replace is fading, with only 19 operational birds. They are supported by 45 Bones - the B-1B - and 76 B-52s, which are undergoing replacement of their avionics suites and their engines.
100 bombers and 185 fighters seems like a lot, especially when set against the dwindling numbers of the two best right now. Granted, stealth and high-technology, which both of these birds have and to spare, are great force-multipliers. But the United States hasn't faced a near-peer conflict in years, and while our aircraft can fly into Iran with impunity, if we ever have to face a more powerful nation, like, say, China, it may be a whole different story.
It's great that these planes are expected to be in squadron service soon. And it's certain that they will be technological marvels. But it would be nice to see those numbers doubled, or tripled. Quality is great, but quantity has a quality all its own. That, too, was a lesson of World War II.
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