U.S. Air Force Plans $1 Billion Complex to Test F-47 Sixth-Generation Fighter.

The U.S. Air Force plans to establish a dedicated test campus at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada for the Boeing F-47, its future sixth-generation stealth air-superiority fighter, which will succeed the F-22 Raptor. The proposed complex would provide the maintenance, simulation, and mission-system support needed to evaluate an aircraft intended to strengthen U.S. forces’ ability to secure control of contested airspace. The investment would help prepare the service to assess both the fighter’s combat capabilities and its ability to sustain operations.

Official artist’s rendering of the future F-47 stealth fighter. The U.S. Air Force plans a dedicated test campus at Nellis Air Force Base to support its operational evaluation. (Picture source: U.S. Department of War/Defense)

The F-47 is central to the U.S. Air Force’s effort to preserve air superiority against increasingly capable enemy fighters, air defenses, and electronic warfare systems. Its importance extends beyond fighter operations: air control helps protect U.S. and allied forces while enabling strike, surveillance, transport, and aerial refueling missions. Developed under the Next Generation Air Dominance effort, the aircraft is expected to combine advanced stealth, greater operational reach, sophisticated sensors and electronic warfare capabilities. It is also intended to operate alongside Collaborative Combat Aircraft, semi-autonomous uncrewed combat aircraft being developed to expand crewed fighters' reach and combat capacity. These remain planned capabilities subject to development and testing.

An October 22, 2026, pre-solicitation, detailed by Air & Space Forces Magazine on October 26, 2026, outlines an approximately $1.057 billion project with construction completion targeted for 2031. The proposed infrastructure includes an approximately 117,000-square-foot facility combining flightline operations and maintenance, a specialized mission-system reprogramming laboratory, and a nearly 41,000-square-foot simulator facility. An aircraft apron with sunshades would provide additional support for flight operations. The estimated project cost includes design, construction, security, and other associated expenses.

Procurement remains at the pre-solicitation stage and represents a proposed construction effort, not an awarded construction contract, a completed campus, or an operational F-47 deployment. According to the October 26, 2026, reporting, the U.S. Air Force anticipates an initial award in February 2027, followed by approximately nine months of design and preconstruction activity. Around 40 months of subsequent construction would extend into early March 2031, although these dates remain planning targets. The notice also identifies potential subsequent work, including additional hangars for fuel-system maintenance, corrosion control, weapons-load training and maintenance training. Their inclusion does not establish that every facility has been funded or contracted.

The proposed campus would help the U.S. Air Force evaluate a complete combat capability, encompassing the aircraft, its mission systems, maintenance requirements and the procedures crews will use to employ it. The combined operations and maintenance facility would connect flying activity with the work needed to keep test aircraft available. Evaluators must establish how component access, repair procedures, support equipment, and maintenance demands affect the pace of operations. A fighter’s military value depends partly on how consistently it can be prepared for another mission, making sustainment an essential part of operational assessment.

The simulator facility would support the examination of complex engagements under controlled, repeatable conditions. Simulation allows crews and evaluators to vary threats and compare results after changes to tactics or software, complementing airborne testing when reproducing an engagement in flight would require substantial resources. The publicly reported requirements do not disclose the simulator’s fidelity, connectivity, or specific functions. Its inclusion nevertheless shows that preparations for the F-47’s evaluation incorporate synthetic testing and training alongside facilities supporting the aircraft itself.

The mission-system reprogramming laboratory addresses the continuing requirement to keep combat systems relevant as threats evolve. Modern fighters depend on software and mission data to interpret sensor information and support responses to hostile systems, although the laboratory has not publicly detailed its precise F-47 responsibilities. Operationally, the challenge is validating changes before crews rely on them in combat. Laboratory assessments, simulated missions and flight testing provide complementary ways to determine whether an update improves performance or introduces new problems. For a fighter expected to combine sensing, electronic warfare and cooperation with uncrewed aircraft, that evaluation process will be especially consequential.

The potential corrosion-control and maintenance facilities also highlight the connection between stealth and readiness. Routine operation, inspection, and repair must preserve low-observable characteristics, making ground infrastructure directly relevant to aircraft survivability. The F-22 offers a clear example: Air Force reporting documents how accessing components can require removing radar-absorbent material and restoring it after repairs. The service has also described the importance of controlled temperature and humidity when applying certain Raptor low-observable materials.

That experience explains the requirement for specialized facilities, but it does not establish that the F-47 will use identical coatings, repair methods or environmental controls. The Nellis proposal alone cannot demonstrate that the new fighter will require fewer maintenance hours or achieve higher availability than the F-22. Testing must establish those outcomes. The Air Force selected Boeing in March 2025 for the F-47’s engineering and manufacturing development phase, covering maturation, integration and testing, including a small number of aircraft for evaluation. The proposed campus would prepare the ground facilities needed as the fighter advances toward operational assessment.

For U.S. forces, the program’s strategic importance rests on delivering air superiority that can be sustained during demanding operations. The planned investment at Nellis would help the U.S. Air Force assess whether the F-47 can combine its intended combat capabilities with reliable mission systems, effective crew employment, and workable maintenance procedures. Completing the campus would lay part of the foundation for that assessment, but operational readiness would still need to be demonstrated through testing.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.