The Boeing executive says the F-47's first flight will be earlier than expected

According to a report from the U.S. Space Forces magazine website on August 30, Colin Miller, vice president and general manager of Boeing's Phantom Works, said on August 29 that the first flight of the U.S. Air Force's sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-47, will be earlier than many people expect, and the aircraft is about to make its first flight.

Additionally, Miller stated that due to unprecedented investment, Boeing is also in a favorable position for the rapid production of the F-47.

Colin Miller, vice president and general manager of Boeing's Phantom Works, said that people will be surprised by the speed of the F-47's first flight.

Because the project is classified, Miller refused to disclose specific details, but he said at a fireside chat at the Defense Industry Association's Defense Emerging Technology Conference and Exhibition: "I think it (the F-47's first flight) will happen faster than normal."

He said that the F-47 fighter jet "was born at Phantom Works... built on decades of technological development. The continuous R&D... allows underlying technologies to come together on this platform... due to the solid technical foundation of this system... we are able to develop rapidly."

Miller said that Boeing is also in a favorable position for the rapid production of the F-47. He added that the company "has never made such a large investment before the contract was signed - huge, massive investment."

He said: "If you have been to St. Louis, you will see buildings being erected. We are way ahead in this aspect because we must be prepared to meet our commitment to customer needs. We have 100% resources and are ready to deliver."

Miller said that another platform from "Phantom Works" is the MQ-25 'Stingray' unmanned aerial refueling drone, which is expected to make its first flight this year and then be deployed on an aircraft carrier in 2026.

He said: "One of the cool things about the MQ-25 is that it initially appeared as a potential collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), so it has the basic capability to perform other missions. At the appropriate time, we will look into these, and see what other capabilities we can provide for the Navy and others, which are based on a very powerful platform, with a very long range, good payload capability, and carrier suitability."

He said: "When I entered Phantom Works last year, the first thing we did was establish a strategic team, which we called Strategic and Partnerships. A large part of their efforts is to find the best partners, including other major partners and non-traditional defense contractors."

Miller described this process as "speed dating," where Phantom Works "looks for the most suitable people." He added that there are some things that Boeing and Phantom Works do best, and some things other companies do better.

He said, for example, that Boeing's investment in artificial intelligence "has not reached the level of other companies... therefore, we are looking for partners to incorporate into Phantom Works."

"At the end of the day, everything is for the U.S. military personnel. How can we get the maximum capability at the lowest cost as quickly as possible? So, we value partnerships. We will do what we are best at, while bringing in what others are best at, and we will propose game-changing solutions."

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842030939650176/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author."