The United States has awarded Boeing a major contract to develop the F/A-XX, the U.S. Navy's planned sixth-generation carrier-based fighter aircraft.

The Department of War said the Navy awarded Boeing a contract worth more than $20 billion for the full-scale development phase of the program. The agreement includes multiple test aircraft intended for ground testing, airworthiness evaluations, systems testing and weapons integration.

The decision gives Boeing responsibility for one of the U.S. military's most closely watched future fighter programs and strengthens its position in America's next generation of combat aircraft.

Reuters reported that Boeing's selection followed a competition with Northrop Grumman, while Lockheed Martin had previously been eliminated from the competition.

The F/A-XX is being developed as the U.S. Navy's future carrier-based strike fighter. It is intended initially to complement, and eventually replace, portions of the Navy's fleet of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers.

The aircraft is expected to introduce advanced capabilities in areas including stealth, sensors, range, networking and integration with unmanned systems. However, many details of its final design and technology remain classified.

The Department of War said the program is intended to provide the Navy with a highly networked combat aircraft capable of operating in contested airspace and extending the reach of naval aviation.

The F/A-XX award represents another major victory for Boeing's defense business.

The company was previously selected for the U.S. Air Force's F-47 sixth-generation fighter program in 2025. With the Navy's F/A-XX award, Boeing is now developing advanced fighter platforms for both major U.S. military air services.

Boeing said the company had planned to develop the two future combat aircraft programs in parallel and had invested in facilities, technology and personnel to support multiple next-generation aircraft programs simultaneously.

The company is also expanding advanced manufacturing capabilities in St. Louis, Missouri, where a major secure facility is being developed to support future aerospace production.

The new fighter is expected to enter service during the 2030s, eventually becoming a central component of the Navy's future carrier air wings.

The aircraft's development comes as the U.S. military focuses heavily on long-range operations, advanced stealth, electronic warfare, networking and unmanned systems.

The F/A-XX is also being developed with the broader strategic challenge posed by increasingly capable military aviation in the Indo-Pacific in mind. Reuters reported that the program is expected to strengthen U.S. naval aviation capabilities as Washington prepares for increasingly contested airspace.

The fighter's ability to operate alongside unmanned aircraft is expected to be an important part of this future combat-aircraft architecture.

The contract represents an important opportunity for Boeing's defense division, which has faced financial and production challenges across several programs in recent years.

Winning both the F-47 and F/A-XX programs places Boeing at the center of the Pentagon's next-generation fighter development efforts.

Reuters reported that Boeing's shares rose following news of the Navy decision, while shares of Northrop Grumman moved lower after losing the competition.

The financial impact could extend well beyond the initial development contract if the program proceeds into large-scale production.

The immediate phase will focus on designing and developing the aircraft and producing test platforms. These aircraft will undergo extensive testing covering flight performance, weapons integration, mission systems and other requirements before the program progresses toward operational deployment.

The Pentagon has not publicly released many of the F/A-XX's detailed specifications because key technical and program information remains classified.

The program therefore marks the beginning of a long development process rather than an immediate replacement of the Navy's existing fighter fleet.