Overview

• On August 7, Northrop Grumman posted the first official F/A-XX concept art showcasing a stealthy, carrier-based design vision for the Navy’s next-generation fighter.
• The Pentagon’s FY2026 budget request trimmed F/A-XX funding to $74 million from $454 million in FY2025, prompting Navy leaders to place a $1.4 billion request on the Unfunded Priorities List.
• A final downselect between Boeing and Northrop Grumman is pending as defense leadership weighs the carrier fighter against the Air Force’s F-47 program.
• The F/A-XX is intended to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in the 2030s with AI-assisted systems, manned-unmanned teaming capabilities and a 25% range improvement.
• The NGAD Family of Systems will leverage assets like the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker to extend carrier air wing reach in contested Indo-Pacific waters.