Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin recently confirmed that the F-47 fighter, previously known as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), had entered production at Boeing’s St. Louis facility, with its prototype’s first flight expected to take place in 2028. The milestone comes only six months after Boeing was awarded the NGAD contract over rival Lockheed Martin, a coup for the beleaguered Seattle-based aerospace manufacturer.

“In the few short months since we made the [F-47] announcement, they are already beginning to manufacture the first article,” Allvin said during his keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association Air, Space & Cyber Conference. “We’re ready to go fast. We have to go fast.”

But can Boeing—which has become tainted in recent years with a string of high-profile delays, production failures, and aerial catastrophes—actually make this timeline?

Boeing has been through a difficult stretch. The recent........

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