Boeing wins contract for new American naval fighter

Boeing has been selected to design, build and deliver the US Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter under a multi-billion-dollar contract, with the aircraft intended to replace the service’s F/A-18 Super Hornet fleet, according to the company.

The award gives Boeing responsibility for the Navy’s next-generation carrier-based combat aircraft and follows its selection in 2025 for the US Air Force’s F-47 programme, meaning the manufacturer is now working on two separate sixth-generation fighter programmes for the American military.

Technical and programme details surrounding F/A-XX remain classified under US national security and export regulations. Boeing said the aircraft will incorporate an open mission systems architecture, advanced mission systems and increased operational reach and capacity, although detailed performance information has not been released.

The US Navy has also released an artist’s rendering of Boeing’s F/A-XX design, describing it as the service’s planned sixth-generation replacement for the Super Hornet.

According to a company announcement, Steve Parker, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said: “It’s an honor to be selected to produce the Navy’s first sixth-generation platform. Backed by decades of work, bolstered by game-changing innovations and solidified by the investments we’ve made in new facilities uniquely suited to build multiple products with next generation capabilities, our dedicated and talented team is ready to execute this critical program.”

The F/A-XX programme is intended to provide the Navy with a new carrier-based fighter as its existing Super Hornet fleet approaches the later stages of its service life. The F/A-18E/F remains the principal strike fighter aboard US aircraft carriers, operating alongside the F-35C Lightning II.

Although both aircraft are carrier-capable, F/A-XX is being developed as a new generation of combat aircraft rather than a direct derivative of either existing type. The Navy has kept most details of the programme classified, including the aircraft’s final configuration and many of the systems expected to form part of it.

Boeing’s selection also gives the company two major future combat aircraft programmes running concurrently. The US Air Force selected Boeing in 2025 to develop the F-47 as part of its Next Generation Air Dominance effort.

Parker said: “Delivering two advanced fighters in parallel was always our plan, and we invested accordingly. We are ready and able to build multiple concurrent future combat aircraft franchise programs.”

Work on the two programmes is expected to draw heavily on Boeing’s facilities in St. Louis, Missouri, where the company is constructing a new secure manufacturing site for future combat aircraft production.

Boeing described the facility as the largest secure manufacturing development of its kind in the United States and said it will form part of an all-digital aerospace design and manufacturing system. The company has been expanding its infrastructure in St. Louis as it prepares for future military aircraft production.

Parker added: “Investment in facilities is just one part of the story; we’re also investing in technology and people so that we can deliver for our customers.”

The award places Boeing at the centre of both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy’s next-generation fighter efforts, while the two services continue to pursue separate aircraft designed around their respective operational requirements. For the U.S. Navy, F/A-XX is planned as the eventual successor to the Super Hornet aboard its aircraft carriers, with the programme’s technical and operational details remaining classified.