Washington, September 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The US Navy has awarded Boeing a contract worth more than $20 billion to develop its sixth-generation F/A-XX strike fighter, a carrier-based aircraft designed to eventually replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler fleets beginning in the 2030s.
The Department of War announced the contract award on Tuesday, describing the F/A-XX as a key component of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme.
The contract covers the fighter’s full-scale development phase and includes multiple test aircraft for ground testing, airworthiness assessments, systems evaluation and weapons integration.
“The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength. F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter,” said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment.
He described the programme as a major investment in US national security and long-term air combat capabilities, adding that the partnership with Boeing was intended to accelerate the delivery of advanced systems to military personnel.
The new fighter is expected to strengthen the Navy’s carrier-based power projection capabilities and extend the operational reach of US aircraft carriers, according to the department.
A key feature of the F/A-XX programme will be its ability to operate alongside both crewed and uncrewed aircraft. The fighter is being designed to interoperate with manned and unmanned platforms, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), while also enhancing the capabilities of the uncrewed systems it operates with.
“This achievement marks a new era for the US Navy,” said acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.
He described the sixth-generation fighter as a generational advance in air superiority and said it would provide Navy aviators with new capabilities for combat operations.
Cao also welcomed the partnership with Boeing, saying the programme was intended to support the Navy’s operational requirements.
Following the contract award, Boeing will develop and deliver the aircraft to augment the Navy’s existing carrier air fleet. The F/A-XX is expected to begin replacing the legacy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers in the 2030s.
The new fighter will also operate alongside the F-35C, giving the Navy a combination of fifth- and sixth-generation combat aircraft aboard its carriers.
The contract places Boeing at the centre of a major US military effort to develop a new generation of combat aircraft. The programme is intended to combine extended operational reach, advanced networking and the ability to work with autonomous aircraft as part of the Navy’s future carrier-based air power.
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