Boeing wins US Navy's next-generation fighter contract, Pentagon says
BA•Boeing won a $20 billion development contract to build test aircraft for the Navy’s F/A-XX stealth fighter. The program could grow to hundreds of billions of dollars over its lifetime, with first production jets expected in the 2030s.
1. Development contract
Boeing beat Northrop Grumman to the contract, which covers development and production of test aircraft. The F/A-XX is planned as the centerpiece of the Navy’s Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems.
2. Production and timeline
The award boosts Boeing’s fighter operations in St. Louis as the company shuts down its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler production lines. First production F/A-XX jets are expected in the 2030s; the Navy expects its Super Hornet fleet to remain in service into the 2040s.
3. Program funding
The program faced delays and funding disputes, with Congress allocating $750 million in the 2025 tax-cut and spending law and an additional $1.4 billion for fiscal 2026. Boeing was also selected to build the Air Force’s F-47 fighter last year.
