Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) has won a contract worth more than $20 billion to develop the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation stealth fighter, beating Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC) and securing its second major sixth-generation fighter program in two years.
F/A-XX Brings Stealth, Range And Integration
The Pentagon said the full-scale development award covers multiple test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems and weapons-integration testing. “F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter,” Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Duffey said, calling the aircraft a “crucial, non-negotiable investment” in long-term U.S. air-combat capability.
The aircraft is intended to begin replacing the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers in the 2030s. Navy officials have previously said the sixth-generation platform should bring greater range, advanced sensors and lethality while integrating with crewed and uncrewed systems.
The award gives Boeing’s St. Louis defense operations a major next-generation fighter program as production of the Navy’s Super Hornets and Growlers winds down. Boeing Defense CEO Steve Parker said investments in “new facilities uniquely suited to build multiple products with next-generation capabilities” leave the company ready to execute the program.
Boeing Secures Second Sixth-Generation Fighter Win
The victory follows Boeing’s 2025 win over Lockheed Martin for the Air Force’s F-47, another development contract worth more than $20 billion. That selection had already revived Boeing’s fighter business, while the F/A-XX award now places the company at the center of both services’ sixth-generation fighter efforts.
Delays Give Way To Long-Term Fleet Plan
The Navy competition had faced repeated delays over engineering and supply-chain capacity. The Pentagon considered pushing the program back by as much as three years before Congress intervened, providing $750 million in 2025 legislation and another $1.4 billion for fiscal 2026. Lockheed Martin was eliminated from the competition in March 2025, leaving Boeing and Northrop as finalists.
Reuters said the F/A-XX program could ultimately be worth hundreds of billions of dollars as production expands and potential foreign orders emerge. The Navy expects first production aircraft in the 2030s, with the F/A-XX operating alongside more than 270 planned F-35Cs while Super Hornets remain in service into the 2040s.
Price Action: Boeing shares rose 2.20% to $191.81 in after-hours trading on Tuesday, while Northrop shares fell 2.65% to $491.23.
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