Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Navy is set to announce the winner of its F/A-XX program, developing the Navy’s sixth-generation carrier-based fighter jet.
-Initially contested by Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman, Lockheed recently exited, leaving Boeing and Northrop as frontrunners.
-Designed to replace the F/A-18 Super Hornet, the F/A-XX will boast advanced sensors, longer range, superior stealth, and integration with unmanned combat drones.
-It may share propulsion technology with the Air Force’s newly announced F-47. Questions remain about potential costs, particularly given competing budget priorities like the Navy’s DDG(X) destroyer program. An announcement is imminent, signaling a new era in naval aviation.
F/A-XX Fighter: Is the U.S. Navy Ready for Next-Gen Naval Aviation?
The U.S. Navy will likely soon announce the winner of the F/A-XX program to develop the next carrier-based fighter jet.
Reuters, which broke the story, said the contract was “worth single-digit billions of dollars in the short term” and added that the total award amount could reach into the “hundreds of billions over the decades it is expected to run.”
The anticipated announcement would cover the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase; essentially an early prototyping phase that would also see the maturation of manufacturing processes ahead of full-scale production.
“We expect that sixth-generation platform to be able to have advanced sensors, advanced lethality, advanced range, and being able to integrate with manned and unmanned capabilities together,” former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti previously said. “That’s one of the things, as we learn from the Air Force and the work they’re doing, to integrate that with what we know that we need to be able to do.”
Defense Contractors
Three U.S. aerospace heavyweights were all originally in the running for the F/A-XX contract: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. But while Lockheed Martin was seen at the outset as the likely winner, Reuters reported that the company was forced to drop out of the competition owing to difficulties in developing next-generation carrier-landing capabilities and improved radar.
Northrop is the firm behind the B-2 Spirit and B-21 Raider stealth-bomber designs. Boeing recently secured the contract to produce the U.S. Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter: The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program yielded the F-47, which was announced this month.
Next Generation Air Dominance and F/A-XX
That future F-47 made waves not only for depictions of its advanced design—known only from a small handful of artist renderings—but also for its numerical designation. Though nominally an homage to the P-47 fighter-bomber of World War II fame, 1947 was also the year the U.S. Air Force was created by President Harry Truman. Finally, Donald Trump is also the 47th president of the United States (as well as the 45th).
One of the key aspects of NGAD is that the F-47 fighter will be a command node for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs), which will fly as “loyal wingmen” drones. These smaller, unmanned aircraft would also carry weapons and enter highly contested airspace on behalf of the manned F-47 jet, keeping that larger, more expansive, piloted aircraft out of harm’s way. The F/A-XX is expected to serve in a similar fashion, in tandem with unmanned assets.
Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion Program
One open question for both the F-47 as well as the F/A-XX is the choice of which engine will propel both aircraft. The Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program was originally conceived to bring together some of the technologies needed for the Adaptive Engine Transition Program, which was abandoned as a potential upgrade for the F-35 platform.
But the NGAP program continued. Late last year, General Electric and Pratt & Whitney received $3.5 billion each from the Department of Defense for further development and refinement of their prototype engines for NGAP.
The program might yield an engine that could be used both for the F/A-XX and the F-47.
Costs?
Another question that has not yet been resolved is just how much the F/A-XX will cost. The Navy is working to get its upcoming DDG(X) guided-missile destroyer to sea. That ship, which will take over the air-defense role from the Navy’s aged Ticonderoga-class ships, as well as taking the place of older Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, has not yet entered production.
However, the Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan think tank that reports to Congress, has recently raised questions about the DDG(X) program’s costs. The CRS brought up two critical questions. First: “Why is there a 35% to 43% difference between the CBO and Navy estimates of the DDG(X) ‘s average procurement cost?” Furthermore, “Would future Navy budgets permit the procurement of DDG(X)s in desired numbers while adequately funding other Navy priorities?”
F/A-XX and the Future
In all likelihood, an announcement on the F/A-XX program winner will be forthcoming sometime this week. It will herald a new age for the U.S. Navy, which will fly the first carrier-capable sixth-generation fighter. This could also be the last manned fighter the U.S. Navy ever deploys, although only time will tell.
Super Hornet: A Photo Essay of the Plane F/A-XX Will Replace
A (Feb. 5, 2021) An F/A-18E Super Hornet, from the “Kestrels” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 137, rests on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during a strait transit. Nimitz is part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and is deployed conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Elliot Schaudt/Released)
PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 26, 2017) An F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to the “Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 115 conducts aerial refueling operations with a U.S. Air Force KC-10A Extender. VFA-115 is traveling from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan, to Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, to complete the strike fighter advanced readiness program. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Chris Pagenkopf/Released)170226-N-CF980-006
ARABIAN SEA (June 28, 2021) Sailors prepare an F/A-18F Super Hornet attached to the “Diamondbacks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102 for launch on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during flight operations in the Arabian Sea, June 28, 2021. Ronald Reagan is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Oswald Felix Jr.) 210628-N-BR419-1062
(June 15, 2015) Lt. B. J. Burnham signals to launch an F/A-18C Hornet, assigned to the “Rampagers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83, on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Truman is underway conducting Tailored Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA) off the east coast of the United States. TSTA is the first combined training event of a ship’s inter-deployment training cycle that tests and evaluates shipboard drills, including general quarters, damage control, medical and firefighting. Upon successful completion of TSTA, Truman will be considered proficient in all mission areas. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class K. H. Anderson/Released)
An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106, catches an arresting gear wire while landing on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 4, 2019. The John C. Stennis is underway conducting routine operations in support of Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Grant G. Grady)
(Jan. 8, 2017) Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) transport an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the “Bounty Hunters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 2 across the flight deck. The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (CSG) will report to U.S. 3rd Fleet, headquartered in San Diego, while deployed to the western Pacific as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet-led initiative to extend the command and control functions of 3rd Fleet into the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sean M. Castellano/Released)
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
