F/A‑XX decision timeline

The U.S. Navy plans to pick the builder of its F/A-XX next-generation carrier fighter in August, after months of delay and budget fights. (defensescoop.com) Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle told reporters on April 20 at the Sea-Air-Space conference that “we expect a down-select in August of this year.” USNI News and Defense Daily both reported the same timeline from the event in National Harbor, Maryland. (news.usni.org) (defensedaily.com) The contest has narrowed to Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Breaking Defense reported that Lockheed Martin was pushed out earlier after its proposal did not meet Navy criteria. (breakingdefense.com 1) (breakingdefense.com 2) F/A-XX is the Navy’s planned replacement for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in the carrier air wing, with a design meant for longer range and survivability against stronger air defenses. Caudle said the requirement is “unquestionable” as rivals improve anti-air systems. (defensescoop.com) (news.usni.org) The timing matters because the program spent the past year in limbo. The Navy’s fiscal 2026 budget request sought only $74 million for F/A-XX, a sharp drop that left the effort looking stalled while the Air Force’s separate F-47 program moved ahead. (twz.com) (insidedefense.com) Congress moved the other way. Appropriators added $897.26 million above the request for fiscal 2026, and defense outlets reported that lawmakers also pointed to about $750 million from an earlier reconciliation measure, giving the Navy money to make an award. (defensescoop.com) (breakingdefense.com) Caudle also said one bidder could not deliver on the Navy’s schedule, though he did not say whether he meant Boeing or Northrop Grumman. Aviation Week reported that both companies have publicly said they can meet the timeline. (aviationweek.com) The industrial stakes reach beyond one airplane. Boeing is also the prime on the Air Force’s F-47, while Northrop Grumman dropped out of that contest, so an August Navy award will steer near-term design work, supplier activity and engineering hiring toward one of the two companies. (aviationweek.com) (breakingdefense.com) The Navy expects F/A-XX to work with the MQ-25 Stingray, its carrier-based refueling drone. NAVAIR says the MQ-25’s mission is to extend the range, endurance and flexibility of the carrier air wing, which is the same range problem F/A-XX is meant to address. (navair.navy.mil) (airdatanews.com) If the Navy keeps the August schedule, the program moves from years of concept art and budget uncertainty to a named prime contractor and a clearer development path. If it slips again, the service will head into another budget cycle still waiting on the jet it says it needs. (news.usni.org) (defensedaily.com)