US Air Superiority Fleet Set for Dramatic Expansion

## A New Era of Air Dominance The US Air Force, Navy, and Marines are poised to dramatically expand their fleet of Next Generation fighter jets. The introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II has already grown the fleet of stealth fighters to an unprecedented scale. With plans to build over 3,000 of these jets, the US is on track to become the world's largest operator of stealth fighters. The F-35 has already achieved an epic scale of deliveries, with over 1,300 aircraft in service. Current plans call for more than half of these jets to be in the service of America alone. The Air Force has also made significant strides in its Next Generation air dominance program, awarding Boeing the contract to begin the F-47 program in early 2025. ## A Shift in Paradigm The true growth in the US Air Superiority fleet comes from the introduction of 1,000+ Collaborative Combat Aircraft, autonomous stealth drones designed to fly alongside crewed fighters. Each crewed fighter is expected to be paired with at least two of these uncrewed platforms. This evolution across three service branches will mark a paradigm shift in American air power that will define the coming century of air warfare. ## The F-22 Legacy The F-22 Raptor, which debuted in 2005, has been treated as a 'silver bullet' and never replaced the primary workhorses of the Air Force. However, the production run of the F-35 has already achieved an epic scale of deliveries, with more than 1,300 now in service. The F-22 fleet size of 186 appears even smaller in the readiness picture, with a mission-capable rate of about 40% in 2024. ## The Road Ahead The F-47 project is expected to be equipped with a slew of never-before-seen technology, including variable-cycle engines, which are expected to be delayed until 2030. Despite the challenges, the program has been accelerated since Boeing was officially awarded the contract in March 2025, with the first aircraft reportedly already in production. Its first flight is expected around the end of 2028. The Navy's F/A-XX carrier-based fighter is developing more slowly and with challenges due to financial limitations. However, Congress has revived the program by adding nearly $900 million to the budget. The combined total of sixth-generation aircraft will be nearly 500 airframes after all are delivered. ## A Stealth Arms Race The primary driver behind the renewed push to introduce sixth-generation stealth fighters and bombers in America is the closing technological gap between the US and its adversaries. China has made large strides in reducing the 'parity gap' in recent years, with over 300 Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighters currently in service. China is expected to have a total J-20 fleet strength of over 1,000 aircraft by 2030. Additionally, the new J-35A multi-role stealth fighter is expected to go into production imminently, with deliveries estimated to potentially reach as high as 350 by that same time. ## The Pentagon's Air Warfare Plan The halt of F-22 production disrupted the US aerospace sector, leading to closures and job eliminations. Experts are already weighing whether the United States has planned for a sufficient number of sixth-generation aircraft. Even with the higher total order of 300 F-47 fighters and 200 Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth fighters, some analysts say that it is inadequate to counter China's capability in a major conflict.