Translation note: This article was translated with the assistance of AI.
The US Navy has selected Boeing to develop and build its future carrier-based F/A-XX fighter aircraft. The sixth-generation jet is intended to eventually replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. According to AeroTime, the development contract is valued at more than $20 billion.
The F/A-XX program will introduce a new generation of carrier-based combat aircraft to the US Navy. According to a report by AeroTime, the fighter is expected to begin supplementing the existing fleet in the 2030s before eventually replacing both the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler. The F-35C Lightning II will continue operating alongside the new aircraft.
The development contract reportedly covers multiple test aircraft for ground testing, airworthiness evaluation, systems testing, and weapons integration.
F/A-XX to Improve Range and Survivability
The Navy expects the F/A-XX to deliver greater range and survivability than the Super Hornet. Boeing has also identified advanced mission systems and an open mission systems architecture as key features of the new aircraft. Such an architecture generally allows individual systems to be integrated and upgraded through defined interfaces.
Boeing has not disclosed how these capabilities will be implemented. Details of the aircraft’s propulsion system, avionics, and weapons remain unavailable. According to the manufacturer, technical and program information is classified under US national security and export laws.
The US Navy has released an official artist’s rendering of the F/A-XX. However, the image does not establish the aircraft’s final configuration.
Boeing Developing F-47 for the US Air Force in Parallel
The F/A-XX award gives Boeing its second current US contract to develop a crewed sixth-generation fighter aircraft. In March 2025, the US Air Force selected Boeing to develop the F-47 under its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.
Boeing plans to execute both programs simultaneously. According to the company, investments to support the parallel development and production of advanced combat aircraft had already been planned before the contract awards.
One of these investments is a new secure manufacturing facility currently under construction in St. Louis. The facility will be integrated into an all-digital aircraft design and manufacturing system intended to support multiple future combat aircraft programs. Boeing is also investing in technology and workforce development.
Image: AIAA