The United States Navy announced on Tuesday that it has selected Boeing to develop the F/A-XX, its next-generation naval fighter jet, choosing the company's proposal over a competing bid from Northrop Grumman.
The new sixth-generation combat aircraft is planned for introduction during the 2030s. It will progressively replace the Navy's existing fleet of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.
The selection gives Boeing control over both known American manned sixth-generation fighter jet programs. The aerospace company is already developing the F-47 combat aircraft for the United States Air Force.
The first American sixth-generation fighter jet could take to the air with a provisional engine, as the final propulsion system is not expected to be ready in time for early flight trials.
Boeing, an American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, is one of the largest suppliers of military aircraft to the United States armed forces. A sixth-generation fighter represents the newest class of military combat aircraft, designed to integrate advanced stealth, artificial intelligence, and digital networking capabilities.
Design features and cockpit automation
Boeing has released two concept illustrations of the F/A-XX so far, offering an early glimpse into the jet's overall configuration. Defense publication The War Zone reported that crucial design features have been intentionally hidden in the illustrations to confuse foreign intelligence services regarding the aircraft's true capabilities, meaning the final production design may change.
The latest rendering depicts a large, wide aircraft that lacks a conventional vertical tail assembly. Analysis by The War Zone indicates that maximizing internal fuel and weapons volume was a major priority for the aircraft's designers.
The illustration shows a cockpit arranged for a single pilot, despite earlier industry speculation suggesting a two-person crew. Because the solo pilot will be required to command robotic combat drones while simultaneously flying the aircraft, high levels of automation and artificial intelligence will be essential to manage the operational workload.
Carrier capabilities and radar systems
The nose section of the F/A-XX appears more streamlined than that of the Air Force F-47 and is sized to accommodate a large Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. An AESA radar uses solid-state modules to steer its radar beam electronically without moving a mechanical antenna, allowing faster target tracking and enhanced resistance to electronic jamming.
Engine air intakes are situated on both sides of the lower fuselage. The landing gear features heavy-duty struts and a dual front wheel assembly, which matches the structural demands placed on heavy aircraft executing catapult launches and arrested landings on aircraft carrier decks.
The aircraft's wings feature positive dihedral, meaning the wingtips are angled upward relative to where the wings meet the main body, mirroring the wing structure of the Air Force F-47. The rendering also shows the wing flaps deployed.
Uncertainty remains regarding the use of canards, which are small forward control surfaces positioned ahead of the main wings. While canards appear in renderings of the Air Force F-47, they are not clearly visible in the latest F/A-XX image. Defense analysts noted that canards would be particularly useful on a tailless fighter to maintain stability and control during low-speed landing approaches aboard an aircraft carrier.
Classification and shared F-47 technology
Boeing continues to keep all technical specifications for the F/A-XX classified, including its exact dimensions and flight performance metrics. For the Air Force F-47, official figures list a combat radius exceeding 1,850 kilometers (1,150 miles), though the naval jet will not necessarily share the same range capabilities.
It remains unclear whether the F/A-XX will be an adapted naval version of the F-47 or an entirely distinct airframe with different physical dimensions and proportions. However, internal hardware, mission equipment, and flight software are expected to represent a major portion of the shared technology between the two platforms.
Global sixth-generation fighter developments
Nations outside the United States are currently pursuing their own sixth-generation fighter initiatives. China is conducting flight tests on experimental aircraft known as the J-36 and the J-50.
In Europe and Asia, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan are jointly developing the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), aiming for operational deployment by 2035. None of these international projects has yet entered operational service.
France, Germany, and Spain were previously working together on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project, but the joint effort broke down in June. Defense contractors in Germany and Spain are now reorganizing their domestic programs to advance next-generation combat jet technologies.
Pending aircraft designation
The official designation for the Navy's new fighter jet has not yet been confirmed and could reflect its technological relationship with the Air Force platform. The War Zone suggested the name F/A-47 if the two aircraft share a common core design.
The publication also speculated that the Navy jet could be designated as the F/A-45 in reference to Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, whose presidency previously influenced the naming of the Air Force F-47 fighter jet.
