Pentagon Picks Boeing For Next-Generation US Navy Fighter Jets

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Washington: The United States Navy opted for Boeing to create the F/A-XX, a new sixth-generation carrier-based fighter aircraft, under a contract worth more than $20 billion for the full-scale development phase. The contract includes several test aircraft for ground, flight, system, and weapon integration testing.

The F/A-XX is intended to supplement and ultimately replace the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, with the transition projected to begin in the 2030s. The new aircraft will fly alongside the carrier-based F-35C.

The fighter is planned to have a longer operating range and advanced stealth capabilities, as well as play an important role in the Navy's future carrier air wing. It is also intended to be compatible with unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft, allowing pilots to communicate with autonomous or semi-autonomous aircraft.

Boeing was picked over Northrop Grumman, another firm remaining in the competition. The decision follows Boeing's 2025 selection for the United States Air Force's F-47 sixth-generation fighter, which awarded Boeing development contracts for both of the US military's next-generation crewed fighter programs.

The Navy has kept many technical facts about the F/A-XX confidential. Boeing stated that the initiative will employ advanced mission systems and open-architecture technology, with construction continuing at its secure manufacturing site in St. Louis, Missouri.

On the same day, the Navy awarded Boeing a separate $16.7 million contract to plan the shutdown of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G production lines, signaling the shift to the next generation of carrier-based combat aircraft.