Navy eyes F/A-XX decision by August
- Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said the Navy expects to pick an F/A-XX prime contractor in August 2026 after a yearlong delay. - Boeing and Northrop Grumman remain in the competition, and Caudle said one bidder cannot deliver on the Navy’s required timeline. - Congress revived the program after the Pentagon sought to sideline it in 2025. (defensescoop.com)
The U.S. Navy now expects to choose a builder for its F/A-XX next-generation carrier fighter in August 2026, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said. (defensescoop.com) Caudle said the program’s need is “unquestionable” and tied the aircraft to longer reach, stealth refueling with the MQ-25 Stingray, and the future carrier air wing. (defensescoop.com) (twz.com) The competition has narrowed to Boeing and Northrop Grumman after Lockheed Martin was pushed out in 2025, according to multiple defense outlets. (defensescoop.com) (flightglobal.com) Caudle also said one of the two remaining contractors “can’t deliver in the timeframe we need,” though he did not identify which company he meant. (defensescoop.com) F/A-XX is the Navy’s planned replacement for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and, over time, the EA-18G Growler in carrier air wings. (defensescoop.com) The program had been expected to move in 2025, but the decision slipped after the Pentagon and White House weighed whether the industrial base could build two sixth-generation fighters at once. Boeing is already the prime contractor for the Air Force’s F-47. (defensescoop.com) (flightglobal.com) That pause left the Navy’s fighter in limbo even as Congress added most of the money the service had not requested. DefenseScoop reported the aircraft received nearly $1.7 billion in fiscal 2026 funding. (defensescoop.com) Northrop Grumman added public pressure to the moment by releasing new artwork of a tailless, carrier-capable concept with folding wings and dorsal air intakes. The company did not explicitly label it F/A-XX, but the imagery matched Navy carrier operations. (flightglobal.com) Caudle said the Navy had taken a “check twice, cut once” approach before making the award, a sign that schedule and factory capacity now weigh as heavily as design. (defensescoop.com) If the August target holds, the Navy will move a delayed, politically contested fighter program from concept work toward engineering and manufacturing development. (defensescoop.com)
