US Air Force Plans $1 Billion F-47 Test Campus at Nellis
The US Air Force plans a facility complex costing roughly $1.06 billion at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for operational test and evaluation of Boeing’s sixth-generation F-47 fighter. The main facilities are targeted for completion in March 2031.
What the Campus Includes
According to Air & Space Forces, the total cost is about $1.057 billion, covering construction, design, security and other expenses. The main facility, mostly on the east side of the base, would be nearly 117,000 square feet and combine flightline operations and maintenance. The plan also includes a special laboratory for reprogramming the aircraft’s systems, an apron with sunshades and a simulator facility of nearly 41,000 square feet. Possible later work includes hangars for fuel-system maintenance, stealth-coating corrosion control, weapons-load training and maintenance training.
Timeline
A presolicitation notice posted on 22 October seeks up to four qualified firms for design and construction. The Air Force hopes to make an initial award in February 2027, followed by about nine months of design and preconstruction and about 40 months of construction, finishing in early March 2031. The plan fits the Air Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request of $730 million for F-47 hangars and support infrastructure.
About the F-47
Boeing was selected in March 2025 to build the F-47, which will replace the F-22 in the 2030s and is expected to make up about 20% of the Air Force fleet. Then Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said in September 2025 that the first aircraft would fly in 2028; in May 2025 he said it would exceed Mach 2 and have a combat radius of more than 1,000 nautical miles.
Note
The report rests on the presolicitation notice and budget details as relayed by Air & Space Forces; the article carries no direct quotes from officials, and it does not say which unit will conduct the operational testing. The campus is a plan; contracting and budget processes are not complete.
