WASHINGTON — The Navy has chosen Boeing over Northrop Grumman to build its sixth-generation strike fighter, dubbed F/A-XX, two sources told Breaking Defense ahead of the official announcement.
This selection makes Boeing the sole supplier of sixth generation fighters to the United States. In March 2025, Boeing won the right to develop and produce the Air Force’s next-generation fighter, dubbed the F-47.
These two collective victories mean that Boeing has excluded its two largest competitors – Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman – from the market for US sixth-generation fighter jets for the foreseeable future, a shocking turnaround for a company that, as of early 2025, was in serious danger of ending its fighter production entirely in the coming years. (Lockheed will continue to build the fifth-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.)
According to a Pentagon statement following the publication of this article, the agreement is “valued at more than $20 billion for the large-scale development phase. The contract covers several test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems and weapons integration testing.” The press release adds that the F/A-XX will fly “from the 2030s” for the Navy.
“The F/A-XX is a critical pillar of our commitment to maintaining peace through strength. The F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend its operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage to the warfighter,” Michael Duffey, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, said in the release.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said, “The sixth-generation fighter represents a generational leap in air superiority and will provide the world’s best aviators with unmatched capabilities to fight, win and return home safely. We are thrilled to partner with Boeing and see our warfighters continue to dominate the skies and defeat our nation’s enemies.”
Boeing defense chief Steve Parker called the selection “an honor.”
“Backed by decades of work, supported by groundbreaking innovations and solidified by the investments we have made in new facilities uniquely suited to build multiple products with next-generation capabilities, our dedicated and talented team is ready to execute this critical program,” Parker said in a statement.
In a statement, Northrop said it “offers the U.S. Navy a highly survivable, digitally advanced sixth-generation fighter. We look forward to receiving additional information on their selection.”
A long road to reward
So far, the F/A-XX program has had a winding journey.
Shortly after the Air Force awarded the F-47 the contract, rumors swirled that the F/A-XX would be next – and the program seemingly stalled. In July 2025, the White House said moving forward with the Navy’s fighter project would jeopardize the success of the F-47, and department officials argued on whether to move forward with the jet. Congress and the Navy’s top brass, meanwhile, insisted it would be a crucial part of the air wing of the future.
In his statement, Parker appeared to acknowledge concerns raised about the ability to produce both fighters, saying that “delivering two advanced fighters in parallel has always been our plan and we have invested accordingly. We are ready and capable of building multiple, simultaneous future fighter franchise programs.”
The Navy has kept public information about the program to a minimum, although officials said the F/A-XX will have a greater range than current aircraft and will serve as a stealth spearhead for the carrier’s air wing. The next-generation fighter is expected to replace the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler.
Still, the competition for the F/A-XX was one of the most anticipated contract awards for the service outside of its shipbuilding portfolio. Once operational, the new aircraft will join the service’s warships to complement Lockheed’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and a to-be-determined collaborative fighter jet.
The Navy effort is also called the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, sharing that name with what is now the Air Force’s F-47 program. And while many outside observers had previously speculated that there might be overlap between the two next-generation fighter efforts beyond their names, Navy officials have repeatedly said the service’s fighter would have a separate airframe from the Air Force’s, avoiding the joint approach controversially used for the F-35 program.
Diana Stancy contributed to this report. This is breaking news and will be updated.
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