Boeing Wins $20 Billion Navy F/A-XX Contract: What the Sixth-Generation Fighter Award Means
Navy Picks Boeing for F/A-XX
On September 29, 2026, the Pentagon announced that the U.S. Navy selected Boeing to build the F/A-XX, the service's first sixth-generation carrier-based strike fighter. The contract covers full-scale development and is valued at more than $20 billion.
Key Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Program | F/A-XX (Navy sixth-generation strike fighter) |
| Winner | Boeing Defense, Space & Security |
| Runner-up | Northrop Grumman |
| Contract phase | Full-scale development, including multiple test aircraft |
| Announced | September 29, 2026 |
| Replaces | F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler (from the 2030s) |
| Works alongside | F-35C and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones |
Why It Matters
- Boeing now holds both crewed sixth-generation fighter programs. It already builds the Air Force's F-47 under the NGAD effort, awarded in 2025.
- Manned-unmanned teaming. The Navy says the jet is meant to operate with drones, with the pilot directing unmanned wingmen.
- A production line transition. Reports say the Navy also gave Boeing a small contract to support winding down Super Hornet and Growler production in St. Louis.
- Funding and schedule risk. Some Pentagon officials had reportedly pushed to delay the program because of cost and industrial capacity concerns.
What We Still Don't Know
Technical details of the F/A-XX, including range, stealth features and weapons, remain classified. The Navy has not publicly confirmed delivery timelines, and there is no word on whether the Marine Corps will receive the aircraft.
What Happens Next
Boeing will now build test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems and weapons integration testing. The programme could grow far beyond the initial contract value over its lifetime, according to Reuters reporting.
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