In July, it was reported that while the Navy requested $1.4 billion in research and development funds for its future air wing through Congress’ annual unfunded priorities list, only $74 million was included in its official 2026 budget to sustain current activities on F/A-XX development. The Senate later approved independent continuation of the Navy’s sixth-gen fighter project separate from the Air Force’s efforts.
Vice Admiral Daniel Cheever, Commander of Naval Air Forces (Air Boss), said: “It’s going to be a very exciting aircraft. I’m looking forward to the downselect. I’ll leave it to the professional acquisition folks…but I’m looking forward to that because that sixth-generation means air superiority in that timeframe in the future, which means sea control. And as long as you have air superiority, you have sea control around the globe.”
The F/A-XX is envisioned as a manned or optionally manned strike fighter forming part of a broader "system of systems" alongside unmanned combat air vehicles such as Northrop Grumman's X-47 and Boeing's MQ-25. It aims to surpass both current Super Hornet and F-35C capabilities within carrier air wings.
Recent prototype drone operations demonstrated success during trial carrier deployments but risked stalling due to potential funding cuts earlier this year. With increased support now expected in FY2026’s budget, both Boeing and Northrop Grumman reaffirmed their commitment by unveiling updated concepts.
Key differences between competing next-generation fighters include propulsion systems—such as new adaptive cycle engines like GE's XA102 or Pratt & Whitney's XA103 for some variants—and mission focus: while USAF designs emphasize penetrating contested airspace for air superiority missions, Navy requirements prioritize multirole capability suitable for carrier operations.
Carrier strike groups remain central to US military strategy due to their rapid deployability worldwide and ability to project power ashore with large numbers of aircraft onboard. Replacing aging Super Hornets with more advanced platforms like F/A-XX is considered essential for maintaining this operational edge.
Official language from an earlier version of FY 2026 defense appropriations stated: “The Navy's FA-XX program will maintain minimal development funding to preserve the ability to leverage F-47 work while preventing oversubscription of qualified defense industrial base engineers.”
Design modifications are expected if any derivative of existing USAF projects is selected for naval adaptation due to unique demands associated with shipborne flight operations—including weight limits and exposure to corrosive environments at sea.
According to Aviation Week reports cited during symposium discussions, new technologies such as artificial intelligence are likely candidates for integration into future fighters’ avionics suites—a move intended to enable faster decision-making under combat conditions and improve coordination with unmanned assets.
Unmanned aerial vehicles already play critical roles aboard carriers in intelligence gathering, surveillance missions, aerial refueling (as demonstrated by successful MQ-25 trials), and potentially even combat support roles moving forward. Early experiments integrating AI-driven systems into carrier operations suggest increasing autonomy will be key going forward.
Boeing remains one of two main competitors vying for production contracts related to these next-generation aircraft projects.
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