Will supply chain troubles delay the debut of America's F-47 fighter jet?
sixth-generation fighter jet programme is expected to face development delays stemming from supply chain challenges, according to government documents and media, as the US-China rivalry over advanced aircraft grows.
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Military news site Breaking Defence reported on Thursday that the engine system for the F-47 sixth-generation fighter jet was likely to face a two-year delay and would not be completed before 2030.
Citing 2026 budget documents released in June, it said development of the engines was expected to be completed in early 2030. The original timeline estimated it would be finished in the second half of 2027.
A US Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defence that 'the updated schedule in the budget documents reflects supply chain challenges encountered by the programme'.
The US Air Force is developing the F-47 under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme, while its initiative to develop engines for sixth-generation fighters is called the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) programme.
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