Full Breakdown
Boeing Set to Secure Navy’s F/A-XX Sixth-Generation Fighter Contract
By Drooid · · How we work
Upcoming Award of the Navy’s F/A-XX Fighter to Boeing
The Pentagon announced that on September 29 it will award the development contract for the U.S. Navy’s next-generation carrier-based stealth fighter, designated “F/A-XX,” to Boeing. The $20 billion contract covers multiple test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems and weapons-integration testing. Boeing’s selection ends a late-stage competition with Northrop Grumman.
Background and Competition
Boeing’s bid was bolstered by its long history of carrier-based fighters, including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet that the F/A-XX is slated to replace. Earlier in 2025, Boeing secured the Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter contract (the F-47), giving it consecutive major wins. Lockheed Martin was eliminated from the Navy competition in March 2025 after its design failed to meet Navy criteria, leaving Boeing and Northrop Grumman as the final contenders.
Official Statements & Responses
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao described the aircraft as a “generational leap in air superiority” that will be interoperable with both manned and unmanned platforms.
Data & Statistics
- Contract value for the development phase: US $20 billion (? S$25.56 billion).
- Congressional earmarks: US $750 million in the 2025 tax-cut and spending law and an additional US $1.4 billion in fiscal 2026.
- Planned production: first F/A-XX jets expected in the 2030s, with the existing Super Hornet fleet projected to remain operational into the 2040s.
Why It Matters
The F/A-XX is intended to anchor the Navy’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family, operating alongside the F-35C and providing advanced stealth, extended range, and integration with uncrewed combat aircraft. With China rapidly fielding its own sixth-generation designs, the contract is framed as essential to preserving U.S. carrier-based air superiority into the 2030s and beyond.
Verbatim Quotes
- “With modernised systems and promising new capabilities, F/A-XX and F-47 production will create more opportunities to attract engineering and technology talent to Missouri,” — Senator Eric Schmitt
- “The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength,” — Michael P. Duffey, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer