Did Pratt & Whitney accidentally revealed the U.S. Air Force's Boeing F-47 fighter future design?.

Pratt & Whitney shared a video about the development of its XA103 adaptive cycle engine, designed to meet the requirements of the U.S. Air Force’s NGAP program, which itself underpins the broader NGAD initiative under which the Boeing F-47 fighter was selected as the successor to the F-22 Raptor.

On February 17, 2026, Pratt & Whitney presented new details and video of its XA103 adaptive cycle engine developed for the US Air Force Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. The NGAP engine is intended to power the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter for which Boeing was selected in 2025 to develop the F-47, which will replace the F-22 Raptor. Because the visual accompanying the engine update depicts a sixth-generation fighter linked to the NGAP effort, it can be interpreted as potentially reflecting elements of the future F-47 design.
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The XA103 engine is designed to power the US Air Force Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter known as the F-47, which led to questions about whether the shared video reflects design elements of the future F-47’s configuration. (Picture source: Pratt & Whitney)

Pratt & Whitney spoke publicly about the progress of its XA103 adaptive cycle engine, explaining how this propulsion system is being developed for the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. However, this means that, given that the NGAP is intended to power the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter jet, under which Boeing was selected in March 2025 to develop the F-47 as the successor to the F-22 Raptor, the next-generation fighter shown in the video accompanying the article could reasonably be interpreted as a new F-47 visual. This sequence links the engine, the propulsion program, the air dominance concept, and the selected aircraft into a single chain of development.

Boeing’s contract for the F-47 exceeds $20 billion and covers the development of at least 185 aircraft, with first flight expected in 2028 and fielding in the 2030s. The program is structured to replace the 195-built F-22 fleet, of which 187 aircraft remain operational. In its article, Pratt & Whitney outlines how it is using a fully digital development environment to advance the XA103 adaptive cycle engine for the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program, describing a demonstration conducted at the RTX Technology Research Center with an Air Force delegation present.

Engineers operated a digital model of an adaptive engine architecture capable of shifting between higher-thrust and higher-efficiency modes, monitored by hundreds of digital sensors, then intentionally deactivated one sensor and identified its function in minutes rather than hours through integrated software tools. The company states that the XA103 is the first engine it has designed in a fully digital environment from concept through manufacturing, using a collaborative workspace that connects up to 1,500 engineers and hundreds of suppliers who would otherwise work across multiple software systems and paper-based processes. 

Model-based systems are used to embed design, manufacturing, and inspection data directly into 3D digital models, allowing test histories and configuration data, including more than 2,000 instrumentation sensors on current engine test assets, to be accessed and analyzed without relying on individual institutional knowledge. Approximately 200 suppliers are being trained in model-based definition for manufacturing and inspection, with machine-readable models intended to reduce translation errors and accelerate production start once technical data packages are received. The article notes that a detailed design review was completed in early 2025 and that prototype construction is underway ahead of ground testing expected in the late 2020s. Moreover, the XA103 adaptive engine concept is presented as a system able to reconfigure airflow in flight to balance thrust, fuel efficiency, thermal management, and durability requirements for future combat aircraft applications.

The XA103 is a three-stream adaptive cycle engine designed to shift airflow between a third bypass stream and the core and fan streams, allowing the engine to balance fuel efficiency and thrust depending on mission phase. In high-efficiency mode, the third stream increases bypass ratio and provides additional cooling capacity, while in high-thrust mode, airflow is redirected to maximize power output for combat maneuvering. The thrust class associated with NGAP engines is 35,000 to 40,000 lbf, equivalent to 156 to 178 kN with afterburner. The adaptive architecture is intended to improve fuel efficiency by up to 25% and increase thrust by up to 20% compared with conventional fixed-cycle engines. Additional cooling and electrical generation margins are designed to support advanced sensors, electronic warfare systems, and potential directed-energy capabilities. Critical design review of the XA103 was completed in February 2024, and prototype construction is underway with ground testing expected in the late 2020s.

The Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program traces its origins to earlier adaptive engine efforts that began in 2007 under the Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology initiative, followed by the Adaptive Engine Technology Demonstrator in 2012 and the Adaptive Engine Transition Program in 2016. Under AETP, demonstrators designated XA100 for General Electric and XA101 for Pratt & Whitney were developed with a focus that included potential F-35 re-engining. As sixth-generation fighter requirements evolved, the Air Force separated NGAP as a distinct propulsion track optimized for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) crewed aircraft. The competing designs under NGAP are the General Electric XA102 and the Pratt & Whitney XA103. Development contracts for these engines have ceilings of up to $3.5 billion per company through 2032. The propulsion system is therefore not an isolated project but a central enabler of the NGAD aircraft’s range, speed, and thermal management envelope.

The Next Generation Air Dominance program grew out of DARPA’s 2014 Air Dominance Initiative and subsequent Aerospace Innovation Initiative X-plane demonstrators, with the Air Force evolving its Air Superiority 2030 concept into a family-of-systems approach. NGAD is structured around a sixth-generation crewed fighter originally referred to as the Penetrating Counter-Air platform, supported by uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft operating in a manned-unmanned teaming concept. In March 2025, the Air Force selected Boeing’s design, designated F-47, and the program entered engineering and manufacturing development. The service has indicated an intent to procure about 200 F-47 aircraft and more than 1,000 Collaborative Combat Aircraft, planning roughly two uncrewed systems per F-47 and F-35A. Fiscal 2025 budget requests include $3.3 billion for NGAD development, of which $2.7 billion is allocated to the crewed fighter and $557 million to CCAs. The program timeline anticipates first flight in 2028 and operational fielding in the 2030s.

The visual associated with the propulsion discussion shows a blended wing configuration with forward canards positioned just aft of the cockpit and no conventional vertical stabilizers, indicating a control architecture relying on integrated trailing-edge surfaces. The cockpit appears as a raised bubble canopy placed forward to maximize pilot visibility within a low-observable planform. A dorsal air-to-air refueling receptacle is visible behind the cockpit area, consistent with long-range operations supported by tanker aircraft. The rear section shows twin engines with thrust-vectoring nozzles similar in arrangement to those used on the F-22, suggesting an emphasis on maneuverability at high speeds. The overall configuration emphasizes sustained high-speed flight, extended combat radius exceeding 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,900 kilometers, and a top speed above Mach 2. In visual proportion and planform logic, the aircraft appears closer to a flying wing configuration than traditional tail-equipped fighters, while retaining a crewed cockpit.

The F-47 is intended to replace the F-22 Raptor, which first flew in September 1997 and entered service in December 2005 following development under the Advanced Tactical Fighter program. A total of 195 F-22s were built, including eight test aircraft and 187 operational examples, with production ending in 2011 after procurement was capped below earlier targets. The F-22 introduced supercruise capability, thrust vectoring, and low observability but is expected to be gradually succeeded by the F-47 as it reaches operational maturity. Air Force leadership has stated that sixth-generation crewed aircraft are necessary to counter advanced integrated air defense systems, electronic warfare capabilities, and emerging foreign sixth-generation designs. The NGAD concept also allows for potential regional tailoring, with variants optimized for Indo-Pacific range requirements or European theater distances. Within this framework, the XA103 engine is not only a propulsion upgrade but a foundational element linking adaptive cycle technology to the operational profile of the F-47 and the future structure of U.S. air dominance.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.