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The future of naval air combat will require new, expanded capabilities. To that end, the Department of War announced on September 29 that the Boeing Company was awarded a contract for the full-scale development phase of the F/A-XX. The new aircraft will be the sixth-generation carrier-based strike fighter for the US Navy, and the development contract is worth more than $20 billion. The F/A-XX will need performance characteristics that establish air dominance in the Pacific, where the most demanding distances will be encountered.
US Navy Chooses Boeing
In March 2025, the Air Force also awarded its sixth-generation fighter contract, designated the F-47, to Boeing. With about a year-and-a-half lead in technology development on the Navy plane, the two fighters would likely share technology, lowering development risk. That factor might even be what gave Boeing an edge over Northrop Grumman, the runner-up in the competition. According to Stars and Stripes, “Boeing pitched a carrier version of its F-47 design, saying that having one contractor on both projects would lead to cost savings and technology sharing.”
In a Department of War press release, Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, observed: “The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength. F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter.”
As with the Air Force F-47, the F/A-XX will operate seamlessly with manned and unmanned air attack platforms like the Collaborative Combat Aircraft. The acting Secretary of the Navy, Hung Cao, explained: “The Sixth-Generation fighter is a generational leap in air superiority and will provide the world's best aviators with unparalleled capabilities to fight, win, and come home safe.” Though the exact performance characteristics of the F/A-XX are classified, we have a broad-brush understanding of the requirements for competitors in the Next Generation Air Dominance program source selection for the Navy aircraft.
F/A-XX Will Have Greater Range
Then-director of the air warfare division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Rear Admiral Michael Donnelly, told DefenseScoop in April 2025: “That increased range is an essential attribute that we’re looking to field. So probably over 125 percent of the range that we’re seeing today to give us better flexibility [and] operational reach. It will, of course, have refuel ability. And all of our air wings, our tactics, and what we are designing in the future considers organic refueling capability.”
DefenseScoop explained for context that the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet “has a combat range of 1,275 nautical miles,” carrying only two air-to-air missiles. The F/A-XX will “definitely have longer inherent range. And then with refueling, you could say that’s indefinite as long as the refueling is available.”
The F/A-XX will have improved stealth capabilities allowing for more survivable penetration into enemy airspace. Again, Donnelly said it has “attributes of survivability and signature, which give it the ability to penetrate threat airspace that will pace the threat that we see into the future beyond 2040.” The ability to engage enemy aircraft at a distance without being seen provides a major advantage. Such a capability is critical in first strikes against an adversary’s air defense. This mission is called Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). DefenseScoop indicated that the F/A-XX's stealth advancements will surpass those of the Navy’s fifth-generation F-35C.
Effective SEAD Critical to Mission Success
SEAD missions are critical in modern warfare. In the ongoing conflict with Iran, the near-total effectiveness of US and Israeli SEAD missions in the early stages allowed for air dominance over Iranian air defenses. US Air Force and US Navy fighters and bombers fly over Iran in many cases totally unopposed because Iran’s air defenses were eliminated early on.
The F/A-XX will be designed to complement and enhance the operational effectiveness of, and eventually replace, the current F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and the electronic warfare fighter, the EA-18G Growler in the early 2030s. The new sixth-generation fighter will also need to be faster than current Navy aircraft. The vastness of the Pacific theater of operations demands a combination of speed and range to let the Navy’s carrier air wings provide expanded area coverage when combined with aerial refueling.
Unlike the Air Force’s F-47, as of mid-October, the US Navy has not given its air dominance aircraft a designation. So far, the aircraft remains the F/A-XX. The combination of US Air Force and US Navy sixth-generation air-dominance fighters will provide formidable deterrence to adversaries. Longer range, higher speed, better stealth, and aerial refueling together enable the US to meet and defeat future threats.
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4 Questions
The story, in brief
What is the F/A-XX contract Boeing received from the Department of War?
On September 29, the Department of War announced that Boeing was awarded the full-scale development contract for the F/A-XX. The F/A-XX is the US Navy's sixth-generation carrier-based strike fighter, and the development contract is worth $20 billion. It is intended to support air dominance, especially across the long distances of the Pacific.
Why did the US Navy choose Boeing for the F/A-XX fighter program?
The article says Boeing may have had an edge because the company also won the Air Force's sixth-generation F-47 fighter contract in March 2025. With the Air Force program about a year and a half ahead in technology development, the two aircraft would likely share technology and reduce development risk. Boeing also pitched a carrier version of its F-47 design, which Stars and Stripes said could bring cost savings and technology sharing.
How will the US Navy F/A-XX improve on current Navy fighters?
The F/A-XX is expected to have greater range, improved stealth, higher speed, and the ability to refuel in flight. Rear Admiral Michael Donnelly said the Navy is seeking more than 125 percent of the range seen today, plus survivability and signature features for penetrating future threat airspace. DefenseScoop said its stealth advances will surpass those of the Navy's F-35C.
What happens next for the US Navy F/A-XX and current Navy aircraft?
The F/A-XX will move through full-scale development as the Navy's sixth-generation air-dominance fighter. It is being designed to work seamlessly with manned and unmanned attack platforms such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft. In the early 2030s, it is expected to complement and enhance, and eventually replace, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler.
Dave Patterson
National Security Correspondent at LibertyNation.Com and Generation Liberty, Dave is a retired U.S. Air Force Pilot with over 180 combat missions in Vietnam. He is the former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller and has served in executive positions in the private sector aerospace and defense industry. Dave’s articles have appeared in The Federalist and DefenseOne.com.
