Lockheed Martin Built the F-22 and F-35 (But Failed on F/A-XX)

Key Points and Summary: The U.S. Navy’s competition for its next-generation carrier-based stealth fighter, known as the F/A-XX, has narrowed after Lockheed Martin was removed due to an insufficient proposal.

Key Point #1 – This sixth-generation jet will replace the aging F/A-18E/F Super Hornet by the 2030s, complementing the F-35C. With Lockheed out, Northrop Grumman and Boeing remain contenders. The F/A-XX aims to deliver advanced stealth, enhanced sensors, long-range strike capabilities, and potentially unmanned operation.

(ILLUSTRATION) — A Northrop Grumman illustration depicts a notional sixth-generation fighter in action.

Key Point #2 – This fighter is crucial to ensuring U.S. naval air dominance against emerging threats from China, highlighting strategic priorities in the Indo-Pacific region amid shifting Pentagon leadership and budget debates.

Lockheed Martin Eliminated From Navy’s F/A-XX Stealth Fighter Program

The competition to build the next-generation carrier-based stealth fighter for the United States Navy has lost one of its biggest competitors.

The Navy has ejected defense giant Lockheed Martin from the competition. This new jet, dubbed the F/A XX, will be a key component in the Navy’s ability to confront China in its own backyard. It will replace the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet, which has been in service since the 1990s.

Two program sources told Breaking Defense that Lockheed submitted a bid to the Navy, but the proposal did not satisfy the service’s criteria. The company is no longer proceeding with the bid.

Lockheed referred a request for comment to the Navy. 

Lockheed has built some of the most outstanding fifth-generation fighters with its worldwide F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and the F-22 Raptor is far from out on creating a sixth-generation jet. They are still a competitor in the Air Force’s separate fighter competition, also known as Next Generation Air Dominance, where they will compete against Boeing.

Who’s Left In the Competition

With Lockheed out, Northrop Grumman and Boeing continue to compete to replace the venerable F/A-18 and E/A-18 with a new air superiority fighter. Northrop hasn’t had a fighter contract since the F-14 Tomcat, famed for its appearance in the Top Gun film with Tom Cruise.

Boeing is gambling on its future. It has committed an enormous investment in its St. Louis facility in the hope that the company will win a sixth-gen contract from the US military.

The Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) is undergoing an extensive review that could reshape its future and have major implications for its approach to air superiority. The Navy’s decision to move forward independently might shield the F/A-XX from the results of the NGAD’s review and subsequent decisions.

One of the sources added that the Navy appeared to be holding off on announcing a decision on the program until there was a confirmed Secretary of the Navy. 

John Phelan, President Donald Trump’s pick for the next Secretary of the Navy, had a congressional hearing on February 27. However, due to Senate Democrats trying to delay the new administration’s selections as long as possible, Phelan has not yet scheduled a confirmation hearing. 

Phelan characterized the F/A-XX as a “next-generation aircraft, offering significant advancements in operational reach and capacity within contested environments”

He wrote that the F/A XX program “is intended to enable Carrier Strike Groups to outpace adversaries while maintaining naval air dominance” and will involve collaboration with the Air Force and Marine Corps on autonomy, mission systems, communication architectures, and autonomous combat drones.

The Navy’s F/A XX Program

The Navy’s F/A XX program is designed to develop a next-generation aircraft to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler by the 2030s and complement the F-35Cs in the Navy. The US Navy still plans to buy more than 270 F-35C jets for its carrier fleet.

As a key part of the Navy’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative, the F/A-XX will focus on air superiority and long-range strikes. It will have advanced stealth, enhanced sensors, and potentially directed energy weapons. The artist’s designs suggest a tailless, twin-engine configuration.

Like the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, the F/A-XX’s two prefixes indicate the plane’s anticipated role as a fighter and attack aircraft. In contrast, the double Xs are placeholders until the program reaches later stages of operational testing and is given a number. 

F/A-XX. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The F/A XX  could even be optionally manned for perilous missions, the aircraft flying autonomously as it navigates through enemy air defenses.

The F/A-XX program is the most significant aircraft competition in the Navy in a long time, but the Navy has kept things highly secretive.

Besides the fact that this aircraft is designed to complement the F-35 aboard the service’s warships and will have a different airframe and engine than the Air Force’s sixth-gen fighter effort, nothing else is known, especially regarding the aircraft’s capabilities or requirements.

(Dec. 7, 2024) LT Steven Holcomb, attached to the Gunslingers of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105, operates a F/A-18E Super Hornet on the flight deck during flight operations, Dec. 7, 2024. USS George H.W. Bush is in the basic phase of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan conducting flight deck certification.(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jayden Brown)

About the Author: Steve Balestrieri 

Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.