The nominee for Secretary of the Navy faces many challenges if confirmed. John Phelan, who has no prior military experience, has some daunting tasks ahead that he has been questioned on during confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill. The Navy doesn’t have enough ships to keep up with China. The Ford-class aircraft carriers are too expensive, and critics say they are obsolete. The maritime branch also needs a 6th generation fighter called the F/A-XX to keep up with ultra-stealth future warplanes from China and Russia.
Improved Range and Payload
Phelan believes that the F/A-XX will have greater range and payload than the F-35C, the Navy’s current stealth fighter. This distinction is necessary to clarify during times of limited budgets at the Pentagon. The F-35C has been criticized for not having the combat radius and capacity to effectively neutralize the enemy’s warships from long range. The F/A-XX could be an answer to those downsides of the F-35C.
In written testimony before his confirmation hearing in late February, Phelan addressed the needs for naval aviation. The Navy must make “significant advancements in operational reach and capacity within contested environments.” The [F/A-XX] is “intended to enable Carrier Strike Groups to outpace adversaries while maintaining naval air dominance,” he wrote.
Working with the Air Force on Next-generation Air Superiority
Phelan explained that the Navy is currently collaborating with the Air Force with the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter that is currently in limbo awaiting a budget review by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The NGAD may not be affordable due to its $300 million per unit price tag.
The NGAD and F/A-XX programs could be merged to save money or at least they may have design and engineering similarities. There are currently two engines proposed for the NGAD. The F/A-XX could choose one of those. Both airplanes could have the same sensors and communications features. However, the NGAD and F/A-XX will probably not have the same airframe as the naval version will have to be strong enough to take off and land from carriers.
Who Will Be the Champion for the F/A-XX?
The Navy, under former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, had taken out $1 billion from the F/A-XX program for FY25. Should he be confirmed, this amount may remain stripped out of future budgets under Phelan.
Also, the new CNO may not believe in the F/A-XX program and have different priorities.
It Must Be Better Than the F-35C
One way that proponents of the F/A-XX can substantiate its existence is to compare it with the F-35C. The three F-35 variants have different range. The combat radius for the F-35C varies from 450 to 600 nautical miles. This is a problem for aircraft carriers as that radius is within the range of Chinese carrier-killing missiles.
The best way to extend the combat radius of the F-35C is to use the new MQ-25 stealth drone tanker for aerial re-fueling. Then the carrier could stay out of the danger zone.
The combat radius of an F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet is slightly better at more than 660 nautical miles. The Super Hornet can also be re-fueled to extend its range.
It would thus be important for the F/A-XX to have longer range than the two existing naval jets. This would mean that the aircraft carrier would be able to survive against carrier-killing missiles that could not reach the vessel.
What About Making It a Fighter-Bomber for the Hypersonic Age?
One aspect of the F/A-XX would be its size for greater payload. The Navy could choose to make it into a medium-sized fighter-bomber like the A-6 Intruder that used to be standard on aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War. The F/A-XX would need to be larger to carry hypersonic missiles for anti-ship or ground strike capabilities.
The F/A-XX will also be able to fly with the new Collaborative Combat Aircraft – a “loyal wingman” drone that can forge ahead and collect intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data, conduct electronic warfare, and assist with targeting and bomb damage assessment. The F/A-XX would be a mothership for the CCAs, much like what is planned for the Air Force’s NGAD.
Phelan wants to emphasize this collaborative approach with the Air Force so that the F/A-XX has better staying power and more effective acquisition synergy with the NGAD.
NGAD fighter from U.S. Air Force.
So far, the F/A-XX looks to have some wings if Phelan gets confirmed. He will likely stay fully attached to the ultra-stealth next-generation fighter. The new airplane will take significant amounts of money and resources. Moreover, the F/A-XX needs to have better range and payload than the F-35C. Otherwise, the Secretary of Defense and Congress will question the amount of funding that will go to the F/A-XX, and they could see it fail to come to fruition.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
