Boeing wins $20bn US Navy fighter jet contract
The US Navy has selected Boeing to build the F/A-XX, its next-generation combat aircraft for aircraft carriers.
The US Navy announced Boeing will build the F/A-XX, a new combat aircraft. The F/A-XX will replace the current F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft from the mid-2030s onward.
The contract is valued at US$20 billion (A$29 billion) and covers development including multiple test aircraft. Boeing's selection effectively gives it a monopoly on sixth-generation fighters for the Pentagon, after it was also chosen last year to build the US Air Force's F-47.
The F/A-XX will be powered by General Electric engines and made in St Louis. The aircraft is designed for long-range strikes against heavily defended targets and will also defend aircraft carriers.
Sixth-generation fighters are expected to include AI-assisted processing, enhanced stealth features, and the ability to control multiple uncrewed aircraft in flight.
- $20 billion
- Contract value
- Mid-2030s onward
- Fleet transition
- General Electric
- Engine supplier
- St Louis
- Manufacturing location
Why it mattersBoeing now controls the Pentagon's next-generation fighter market for decades, giving it enormous influence over US air strategy and defence spending.
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