The Department of War and the U.S. Navy officially awarded Boeing a contract valued at over $20 billion on September 29, 2026, to develop the sixth-generation F/A-XX strike fighter under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. This agreement covers the full-scale engineering and manufacturing development phase, procuring multiple test aircraft designated for ground, airworthiness, systems, and weapons integration testing.
By securing this major award, Boeing defeated rival bidder Northrop Grumman, cementing its position as the sole supplier of sixth-generation fighter jets for the U.S. military. This victory follows Boeing’s selection for the U.S. Air Force’s F-47 contract in March 2025. With both wins, Boeing has completely excluded primary competitors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman from the nation’s next-generation crewed fighter marketplace, reversing its industrial outlook after earlier concerns over the potential winding down of its fighter production line.
Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, emphasized the strategic importance of the agreement. “The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength,” Duffey stated. “F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter.”
Strategic Role and Capabilities of the F/A-XX
The carrier-based F/A-XX is designed to serve as the technological spearhead of the future naval air wing. Beginning in the 2030s, the platform will augment and eventually replace legacy fleets of Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, operating alongside the fifth-generation F-35C Joint Strike Fighter.
While most technical and programmatic details remain classified under U.S. national security and export laws, the Pentagon and Boeing have confirmed that the aircraft will incorporate an open mission systems architecture and advanced mission systems. The fighter will feature enhanced operational reach and full interoperability with crewed and uncrewed platforms, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, effectively increasing the combat capability of every unmanned system it teams with.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao hailed the milestone as a transformative development. “The Sixth-Generation fighter is a generational leap in air superiority and will provide the world’s best aviators with unparalleled capabilities to fight, win, and come home safe,” Cao said.
Industrial Capacity and Congressional Intervention
The path to the F/A-XX contract award faced significant turbulence over the preceding two years. In mid-2025, White House and Pentagon officials raised concerns that the domestic defense industrial base lacked the capacity to simultaneously design and build both the Air Force’s F-47 and the Navy’s F/A-XX. Discussions briefly considered freezing or delaying the Navy program.
However, Congress intervened to keep the project moving forward, allocating critical funding in defense appropriations bills to accelerate risk reduction, critical design work, and technology maturation. To support the concurrent production demands, Boeing accelerated construction on its advanced, secure manufacturing complex in St. Louis, Missouri, utilizing its all-digital aerospace design and manufacturing systems.
Steve Parker, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, addressed the industrial capacity debate directly following the announcement. “Delivering two advanced fighters in parallel was always our plan, and we invested accordingly,” Parker said. “We are ready and able to build multiple concurrent future combat aircraft franchise programs. 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.”
Transitioning Away from the Super Hornet
Coinciding with the F/A-XX contract award, the U.S. Navy issued Boeing a separate $16.6 million firm-fixed-price order on September 29, 2026. This order funds planning, analysis, engineering, and program management support to oversee the eventual shutdown of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler production lines. Work will be split across St. Louis, Missouri; El Segundo, California; and Bethpage, New York, with completion expected by November 2030, officially closing a multi-decade chapter in naval aviation manufacturing.
