The race to field the first operational sixth-generation fighter is underway, and while the United States—unlike China—has been cautious about what is disclosed regarding aircraft under development, in recent months there have been both notable advances as well as emerging challenges. This is due to concerns expressed from various sectors that the country cannot afford the development and production of two such aircraft in parallel, referring to the new F-47 selected by the U.S. Air Force and the Navy’s F/A-XX, which has been at the center of debate due to delays in the selection process and the resources allocated for what is intended to replace the F/A-18 Super Hornets operating from nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
Nevertheless, based on what was observed at the recently held Tailhook Symposium—during which Boeing unveiled what would be the first conceptual image of its future carrier-based fighter for the Navy’s F/A-XX project, which bears strong similarities to the F-47 and, in speculative terms, could suggest that the aerospace firm is developing a carrier-based version of the sixth-generation fighter that will equip the USAF.
As of today, Boeing and Northrop Grumman are the two firms competing in the so-called U.S. Navy F/A-XX Program, through which the service aims to acquire a new sixth-generation carrier-based fighter. Previously, Lockheed Martin had also been listed, with its proposal reportedly praised by the service. However, combined with the non-selection of its design for the USAF’s NGAD program, this represented another setback for the company’s ambitions.
Prior to the viral spread of Boeing’s render during the Tailhook Symposium in early August, Northrop Grumman had done the same, releasing a conceptual image of its envisioned future carrier-based fighter for the F/A-XX program. Similar to Boeing’s image, this model was also depicted on the flight deck of a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and even displayed some resemblance to the YF-23, with which it competed decades ago in the USAF’s fifth-generation fighter program.
Following the announcement of the USAF’s selection of the F-47, many observers expected a similar announcement regarding the Navy’s F/A-XX. However, such expectations were quickly tempered by a series of decisions surrounding the program, which still lacks a selected company to move forward with the next phases of development and production.
More broadly, there appear to be conflicting positions between the Department of Defense—firmly representing the new guidelines outlined by the Republican administration of Donald Trump—and sectors within the Navy and Congress, who continue to advocate for the continuation and funding of the F/A-XX program.
This was reflected in the budget submissions for the respective programs for Fiscal Year 2026, where the Department of Defense allocated only $74 million. This sparked a series of responses and actions from the Navy, which submitted an additional request for $1.4 billion in its Unfunded Priorities List and subsequently received support from the “… Senate Appropriations Committee, which has already approved a bill that includes the additional funds requested by the Navy for the F/A-XX, along with $647 million to continue the acquisition of E-7 Wedgetail aircraft for the Air Force,” as detailed in early August.
The growing internal debate highlights the clash of positions, as various U.S. military programs are being canceled or restructured. In the case of the new generation of sixth-generation combat aircraft—led by the F-47, the B-21 Raider, and the F/A-XX—concerns remain over whether the United States has the resources to undertake the development of two sixth-generation fighters in parallel.
While everything remains a matter of speculation and analysis, the recent unveiling of Boeing’s conceptual image for the future F/A-XX could suggest that the aerospace company is seeking to reconcile positions with an intermediate solution—whereby the future carrier-based fighter could be a derivative or heavily influenced by the design of the recently selected F-47.
Such a design choice could result in significant savings in terms of design, development, and future production of sixth-generation aircraft for the United States. Boeing has already indicated that it possesses the capacity to produce both the F-47 and the F/A-XX, which is presumably another indication of what has been previously suggested.
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