F/A-XX, the new US Navy fighter, will have its winner announced this week
Days after US President Donald Trump revealed that Boeing was awarded the contract for the Air Force’s NGAD program, the US Navy is also expected to reveal the winner of the F/A-XX competition, which also involves a 6th generation fighter.
According to Reuters sources, the Trump administration will announce this week who will build the carrier-based aircraft that will replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
Northrop Grumman and Boeing are in the running, since Lockheed Martin was removed from the competition at the end of last year. The winner will receive approval for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase.
At stake is a billion-dollar contract that is vital to the United States’ ambitions to project its military power across the globe.
The US Navy began studies on the stealth fighter in partnership with the Air Force, following the model of the JSF program, which gave rise to the F-35, but the requirements ended up distancing the F/A-XX and NGAD projects.
In addition to the ability to operate aboard nuclear aircraft carriers, the new fighter must be capable of offering advanced stealth, great range and modularity in order to be frequently updated if necessary.
The service also aims to operate with Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), advanced drones also called “Loyal Wingmen”.
While Boeing has just taken the NGAD and will have the arduous task of putting a prototype into flight by 2028, Northrop Grumman is in the middle of initial production of the B-21 Raider, the USAF’s first 6th generation stealth bomber.
The series of announcements comes months after China unveiled advanced new combat aircraft, including the stunning J-36, a large three-engine fighter jet.
The F/A-XX is expected to enter service in the early 2030s and will coexist with the F/A-18E/F for a few years.
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