Boeing Wins $20 Billion F/A-XX Fighter Deal
The Pentagon has selected Boeing to develop the US Navy’s next-generation F/A-XX sixth-generation strike fighter under a contract valued at more than $20 billion, strengthening the company’s position in America’s future combat aircraft programmes.
Boeing Wins $20 Billion F/A-XX Contract
The contract covers the full-scale development phase of the F/A-XX programme and includes multiple test aircraft for ground trials, airworthiness testing, systems integration and weapons evaluation.
The aircraft is being developed under the Navy’s Next Generation Air Dominance programme and is expected to begin replacing the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet from the 2030s.
Boeing defeated Northrop Grumman in the competition for the programme.
F/A-XX to Replace Super Hornet Fleet
The F/A-XX is intended to provide greater range, survivability and lethality in contested environments while operating alongside unmanned aircraft and other advanced systems.
Technical and programme details remain classified, but the Navy has said the aircraft will play a central role in maintaining carrier-based air superiority and long-range strike capability.
The platform is expected to support future US operations across the Indo-Pacific, where Washington has increasingly focused on maintaining an advantage against advanced Chinese military capabilities.
Boeing Secures Second Sixth-Generation Fighter Win
The F/A-XX award marks Boeing’s second major sixth-generation fighter contract after it was selected in March 2025 to develop the US Air Force’s F-47 stealth fighter.
Boeing is expanding secure manufacturing infrastructure in St. Louis to support multiple advanced combat aircraft programmes simultaneously.
The latest contract gives the company a dominant position in the development of America’s next generation of crewed fighter aircraft.
