See which Boeing fighter jets were designed, inherited or built, from the F-15 and F/A-18 to the X-32 and developing F-47.
Boeing has built or developed the F-15 Eagle family, F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet, X-32 demonstrator and the developing F-47. It was also a major F-22 partner. Most famous Boeing fighter jets came through McDonnell Douglas; Boeing’s own early fighters, including the P-26, were propeller-driven rather than jets.
Within Aviation & Real-World Flying, the key distinction is between an aircraft originally designed by Boeing and one manufactured or developed further after a corporate merger. A mistake we see often is treating ownership of a design lineage as proof that Boeing created the original aeroplane.
Which Boeing fighter jet programmes count?
The main Boeing-associated fighter jet programmes are the F-15, F/A-18, F-22 partnership, X-32 and F-47, but Boeing’s role was different in each case.
| Aircraft or programme | Boeing’s role | Correct description |
|---|---|---|
| F-15 Eagle and Strike Eagle | The original F-15A-D and F-15E were McDonnell Douglas designs. Boeing inherited the programme in 1997, built later aircraft and developed Advanced Eagle derivatives including the F-15K, F-15SG, F-15SA, F-15QA and F-15EX. The F-15SE Silent Eagle remained a proposal and demonstrator. | Later examples are genuinely Boeing-built, but the original F-15 was not a Boeing design. Our FSX package spanning several Eagle and Strike Eagle variants helps distinguish the family’s different forms. |
| F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet | The Hornet grew from Northrop’s YF-17 and was developed for naval service by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop. The larger F/A-18E/F Super Hornet had flown before the Boeing merger, after which Boeing completed testing, production and later development. | Boeing built late Hornets and became prime contractor for the Super Hornet, but neither began as a clean-sheet Boeing project. The stock F/A-18E is covered in our guide to fighter aircraft included with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. |
| F-22 Raptor | Boeing was a major programme partner, designing and producing the wings and aft fuselage while contributing avionics integration and training systems. | The F-22 is not properly described as a Boeing fighter because Lockheed Martin was the prime contractor. Boeing nevertheless built substantial parts of every aircraft. |
| Boeing X-32 | Boeing designed and built two concept demonstrators for the Joint Strike Fighter competition: the X-32A and short-take-off-and-vertical-landing X-32B. | This was a genuine Boeing fighter demonstrator, but it lost the competition to the X-35 and never entered production. |
| Boeing F-47 | In March 2025, the US Air Force selected Boeing for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of its Next Generation Air Dominance crewed fighter. | The F-47 is a Boeing-led fighter under development, not an operational type. Its detailed configuration, performance and test status remain largely classified. |
Why are the F-15 and F/A-18 called Boeing fighters?
They are called Boeing aircraft because Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997 and took over its active military programmes, engineering teams and production facilities. The merger changed who built and developed subsequent aircraft; it did not retroactively make Boeing the designer of 1970s F-15s or early Hornets.
Boeing’s later development work was substantial. Advanced Eagles received modern flight controls, sensors, cockpits and mission systems, while the Super Hornet is a larger aircraft with a new wing, different intakes and more internal fuel than the original Hornet. Calling an F-15EX Boeing-built is accurate; calling an early F-15A an original Boeing design is not.
Did Boeing build fighters before the jet age?
Yes. Boeing designed several American piston-engined fighters before becoming better known for bombers, airliners and inherited jet programmes:
- PW-9 and naval FB series: Boeing Model 15 biplane fighters from the 1920s. Our PW-9 development notes and FSX model cover the design and its variants.
- P-12 and F4B: closely related Army and Navy biplane fighters produced in several versions.
- XP-9: an unsuccessful monoplane fighter prototype with poor cockpit visibility.
- P-26 Peashooter: an all-metal production monoplane fighter, although it retained fixed landing gear, external wing bracing and an open cockpit.
- XF8B-1: a large Second World War fighter-bomber prototype intended for long-range duties; it did not enter production.
These aircraft belong in Boeing fighter history, but none was a fighter jet.
Are the F-4 Phantom and F-86 Boeing jets?
No. The F-4, F-86 and several other fighters belong to Boeing’s corporate heritage, but their original manufacturers designed and built them long before Boeing acquired the relevant businesses.
| Original manufacturer | Fighter examples | Connection to Boeing |
|---|---|---|
| McDonnell or McDonnell Douglas | FH-1 Phantom, F2H Banshee, F3H Demon, F-101 Voodoo and F-4 Phantom II | Boeing acquired the corporate lineage through the 1997 merger, after these types had left production. |
| Douglas Aircraft | F3D Skyknight, F4D Skyray and F5D Skylancer | Douglas merged with McDonnell in 1967; McDonnell Douglas later merged with Boeing. |
| North American Aviation | FJ Fury, F-86 Sabre and F-100 Super Sabre | The lineage reached Boeing through its acquisition of Rockwell’s aerospace and defence operations, not through Boeing manufacture of the original fighters. |
Our broader account of Boeing’s aircraft history and acquisitions explains how these separate manufacturers became part of the company.
Which Boeing military aircraft are not fighters?
Several combat-looking Boeing aircraft should not be added to a fighter-jet list without qualification:
- The EA-18G Growler is an electronic-attack derivative of the Super Hornet, not primarily a fighter.
- The AV-8B Harrier II is an attack aircraft inherited from McDonnell Douglas.
- The T-7 Red Hawk is an advanced jet trainer.
- The MQ-25 is an unmanned carrier-based tanker, while the MQ-28 Ghost Bat is an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft.
- The X-36, Bird of Prey and Phantom Ray were research or technology demonstrators rather than operational fighters.
- The Boeing Bomarc, once designated F-99, was a surface-launched pilotless interceptor missile. Its early F-designation does not make it a fighter jet.