Amid multiple wars raging in different parts of the world, the race to build the world’s first operational sixth-generation fighter jet is moving at full speed in 2026.
As Europe’s ambitious Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project falters after getting stuck in fights and delays, two other programs, the US’s F-47 and the UK-Italy-Japan GCAP, are charging forward with big money and clear timelines.
While the FCAS could still be saved, for now, the F-47 and the GCAP (Global Combat Air Program) have surged ahead.
US Air Force’s F-47 Gets Massive Funding Boost
Last week, the Trump administration asked for a nearly 40% increase in military spending over last year in its annual budget request.
The US government has asked for a historic US$1.5 trillion in the defense spending bill.
The record-breaking defense spending request (released on April 3) includes approximately US$5 billion to develop the F-47, all of which comes from baseline discretionary funding.
“The Administration is sending a clear message to the nation’s adversaries by aggressively moving forward with the F-47 sixth-generation fighter: that the U.S. military will secure command of the skies, deter aggression, and project power anywhere on the globe,” the budget documents read.
Further, the document revealed that the US is aiming for the F-47’s first flight in 2028.
“The 2027 request continues to prioritize the rapid development and production of the F-47, and would achieve a first flight in 2028.”
Notably, the F-47 received US$2.5 billion in the 2026 budget request and US$900 million in reconciliation funding. In total, the Boeing-built fighter netted nearly US$3.5 billion last year, the documents said.
If the budget request is approved, then the F-47, built by Boeing and part of the US’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) plan, would have received nearly US$8.5 billion by the end of this financial year, putting it substantially ahead of its competitors.
The US is marketing the F-47 as the world’s first crewed sixth-generation fighter jet that is designed to work with drones and use advanced AI.
The drones will be operated from the cockpit and can undertake a range of missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations, suppression of enemy air defenses, electronic warfare, and even offensive operations against enemy positions.
The drones will allow the manned F-47 fighter jet to operate as a command-and-control center from a standoff range.
It will also feature stealth ++ and leverage AI for intelligence, data collection, computing, sensor-to-shooter pairing, and threat prioritization.
The F-47 is publicly stated to be capable of Mach 2 speeds and to have nearly double the range of an F-35 or F-22. This range improvement is particularly relevant in the Pacific, where an F-35 might struggle to sustain long-range missions.
The F-35 has a combat radius of 590–670 nautical miles, depending on the variant (F-35A/C). In comparison, the F-47 is projected to have a combat radius of over 1,200 nautical miles, offering double the reach of current US fighters.
The ongoing war in Iran has once again underscored the need to develop and operationalize a sixth-generation fighter jet quickly.
Iran has been able to shoot down one F-15E fighter jet, one A-10, and hit one F-35 aircraft without cutting-edge air defense systems.
The hit on the F-35 was particularly concerning as Iran might have exposed an underlying vulnerability of the stealth fighter, its inability to dodge heat-seeking infrared missiles.
The F-47 will be powered by the next-generation XA-103 adaptive engine, providing superior thermal management, allowing the aircraft to keep its infrared signature masked from heat-seeking missiles.
The USAF would like to have the F-47 in its arsenal before a military conflict breaks out in the Pacific.
GCAP Program Gets First Major Contract
Not to be outdone, the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) between the UK, Italy, and Japan also took a giant step forward.
The GCAP agency awarded the 686-million-pound ($908 million) contract to Edgewing, a tri-national venture formed by the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan.
The deal funds key design and engineering work and allows the trilateral partnership to accelerate the program.
“This contract is an important moment for GCAP, as activities previously conducted under three nations’ contracts will now be carried out as part of a fully-fledged international program,” Masami Oka, GCAP Agency Chief Executive, announced.
Edgewing was formed by the BAE Systems (UK), Leonardo (Italy), and Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement in June 2025 to develop the sixth-generation GCAP fighter jet.
Edgewing will lead the design and development of the aircraft and remain responsible for the full product life cycle.
The GCAP is scheduled to enter service by 2035.
GCAP, launched in 2022, will deliver an innovative next-generation stealth fighter equipped with cutting-edge technologies, supporting sovereign industries across partner nations in meeting global threats.
Although the fighter jet is a joint project, each country will integrate different radar, missiles, bombs, and other systems.
GCAP merges national initiatives: the UK’s Tempest, Italy’s Leonardo-based effort, and Japan’s F-X program. The aircraft will replace the Eurofighter Typhoon and Mitsubishi F-2.
Notably, many more countries, including Canada, Australia, Sweden, Poland, India, and Germany, have also expressed interest in joining GCAP.
GCAP’s appeal is also increasing, as the US’s F-47 is a single-nation effort, and the FCAS (among France, Germany, and Spain) is struggling to take off due to industrial rivalry, workshare disagreements, and substantial differences over the aircraft’s key design features.
FCAS Falters
The FCAS program, a flagship joint effort by France, Germany, and Spain to build a next-generation combat aircraft, has faltered amid persistent disagreements between France’s Dassault Aviation and Airbus.
Apart from disagreements over workshare, there are also differences in key design features of the future aircraft.
Apparently, France wants a carrier-capable aircraft that can also deliver nuclear weapons. However, since Germany has no aircraft carrier and has no nuclear weapons, Berlin is not keen on these features.
Last year, France informed Germany that it wants to take 80 percent of the workshare in the FCAS program, raising questions over its future.
The project, with an estimated value of more than 100 billion euros (approximately USD 116.85 billion), has also been marred by infighting over intellectual property rights between France and Germany, as well as disputes within their respective national industries.
Last week, Dassault Aviation CEO Éric Trappier once again made remarks suggesting that there is very little possibility of a compromise working out on FCAS.
He emphasized he is not a supporter of joint management and that the project needs a single leader.
Trappier’s words were spoken at a forum by Le Point magazine, as reported by BFMBusiness. We’ll give ourselves a little more time, 2-3 weeks, to try to reach an agreement between the French and Germans, between Dassault and Airbus, to find a balance that would allow us to continue the project, he emphasized.
Earlier, during a March meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the two leaders agreed to make one last-ditch effort to save the joint fighter jet development program.
However, following the meeting, Trappier reminded that it is France, not Germany, which has the required experience in building a fighter jet from scratch.
With Rafale, we did everything ourselves; we know how to do everything independently. With Eurofighter within a four-way partnership. Of these four countries, three purchased American F-35s, Trappier noted, hinting that joint projects don’t always directly strengthen the European defense-industrial complex, the Defense Express reported.
The contrast could not have been starker.
GCAP has moved from national projects to a single strong international team. The F-47 has huge US government backing. FCAS, on the other hand, is still stuck in political battles.
France might still develop a sixth-generation fighter on its own. Germany might join GCAP. However, the project is losing crucial time in these internal squabbles and allowing its competitors to move ahead.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.
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