The U.S. Navy selected Boeing on Sept. 29 to develop its F/A-XX sixth-generation carrier-based fighter, awarding a contract valued at more than $20 billion for the full-scale development phase. The announcement came from the Department of War, which said the contract covers multiple test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems, and weapons integration testing. Boeing beat out Northrop Grumman for the award.
The F/A-XX is the strike fighter component of the Navy’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Family of Systems. The new jet is expected to augment and eventually replace the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers beginning in the 2030s, operating from carriers alongside the F-35C and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. The service released a single artist’s rendering of Boeing’s design, but Boeing said the aircraft’s technical and programmatic details remain classified under U.S. national security and export laws.
The win gives Boeing both of the U.S. military’s next-generation crewed fighter programs. The Air Force selected Boeing for the F-47 on March 21, 2025, over Lockheed Martin. Lockheed was reportedly eliminated from the Navy contest that same month, leaving Boeing and Northrop Grumman as the final two bidders.
“Delivering two advanced fighters in parallel was always our plan, and we invested accordingly. We are ready and able to build multiple concurrent future combat aircraft franchise programs,” said Steve Parker, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
Boeing points to its St. Louis operation as the answer to capacity concerns. The company said construction continues there on a secure manufacturing facility that it describes as the largest in the United States. On the same day as the fighter award, the Navy gave Boeing a separate contract worth about $16.7 million to plan and prepare the shutdown of the Super Hornet and Growler production lines.
The award ends a long stretch of uncertainty around the program. F/A-XX stalled for months after the F-47 decision while funding fluctuated. The Pentagon approved moving ahead with a choice between Boeing and Northrop Grumman in October 2025 without naming a winner. Congress then set aside $897 million for F/A-XX in the fiscal 2026 defense appropriations act and required the Pentagon to award a development contract. The announcement came shortly before the end of the fiscal year, when the funding Congress added for the program was due to expire.
Northrop Grumman, which can still challenge the outcome, acknowledged the decision and said it was waiting for more information about the selection, Aviation Week reported. The company had hoped the program would return it to the role of fighter prime contractor, a position it has not held in decades.
Sources: The Aviationist · Defence Blog