Key Points and Summary – The U.S. Navy’s proposed F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter, if built, is projected to be “ultra-fast,” with a top speed between Mach 2 and Mach 3—a significant leap over current carrier jets.
-However, the program is in serious danger.
-The Trump administration and the Pentagon have effectively frozen its funding to prioritize the Air Force’s F-47 program, citing industrial base concerns.
-While the Senate is attempting to restore $1.4 billion to the budget, the F/A-XX’s future remains uncertain due to this direct conflict between Congress and the White House.
How Fast Will the Newfangled F/A-XX Naval Fighter Fly?
The US Navy’s sixth-generation fighter, the F/A-XX, will be ultra-fast if built. It will be able to reach a top speed between Mach 2 and Mach 3. Some estimates peg the velocity as fast as MACH 2.8, but that hasn’t been confirmed. But we can safely say that this fighter jet will be the quickest in the naval fleet.
The F/A-XX will be faster than the airplane that it is meant to replace – the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. This workhorse has a top speed of MACH 1.6. The naval version of the F-35 can only hit MACH 1.6 as well. The Navy would have a blistering hot rod if the F/A-XX comes to fruition.
The Department of Defense Has a New Sixth-Generation Engine Program
The new engines to create this speed for the F/A-XX are being developed under the auspices of the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. These engines will be powerful, and Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman are in the mix to provide them. One problem with NGAP is that it is meant for the Air Force and the F-47 NGAD future fighter. The Navy hopes it can save money by using the same engine as the F-47. This would make the most sense as critics of the F/A-XX are worried about the massive funding to bring this airplane to reality by the 2030s.
Could the F/A-XX Get Cancelled?
The F/A-XX program is in danger, though. The US military, under the watchful eye of the White House and Congress, may have the life sucked out of it by the F-47. The Department of Defense may not be able to fund both the F/A-XX and the F-47.
We know that Lockheed Martin will not be the prime contractor for the F/A-XX. The defense behemoth was eliminated from the running this spring. That leaves Boeing and Northrop Grumman to compete for the award. However, Boeing’s fighter jet construction division is on strike, placing the F-47 in danger that its ambitious timeline won’t be met. So, Northrop Grumman could win the naval bid.
What Do We Know About the F/A-XX?
The Navy will require the winning proposal to have ultra-stealth attributes and better radar evasion than the F-35C, which is already considerable. There may be an unmanned version of the F/A-XX, and it will be able to control the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones in a Loyal Wingman construct. CCAs will give carrier strike groups another means to launch more missiles, suppress enemy air defenses, conduct electronic warfare, and perform battle damage assessment.
The F/A-XX will be able to survive in multiple threat environments and penetrate deeply to deliver surface strikes with hypersonic weapons. It will feature air-to-air refueling capabilities, as well as reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition features, making it a formidable anti-ship platform.
The F/A-XX will also have an important feature – more range. The next-generation warbird will have 25 percent greater combat radius than the Lightning II and Super Hornet. This is important for naval tactics since aircraft carriers must stay out of the way of Chinese carrier-killing missiles. The F/A-XX will enable the flat-tops to stay further out to sea while the new jet creates an elongated battle space environment.
The Navy has something called the Air Wing of the Future concept, and the F/A-XX will play an essential role in this effort. But funding will be a problem. In FY2026, the Navy has requested only $74 million for research and development for the F/A-XX. Congress is increasing that, but these are not considerable funds when it comes to how much money the Navy needs to bring the F/A-XX to fruition by 2030.
Congressional Champions May Have Saved the F/A-XX
The Department of Defense even has the F/A-XX program on pause. Fortunately, the Senate Appropriation Committee disagreed and has breathed renewed life into the F/A-XX. The Senate panel wants to invest $1.4 billion for total future funding to get the sixth-generation fighter to the finish line by the 2030s. This is excellent news for the F/A-XX, but it is not clear if this will be stripped out by other Congressional members who believe the F-47 should be a priority.
Trump Could Place a Spike Into the Heart of F/A-XX
And then there are the White House’s strategic goals. Since President Donald Trump is firmly behind the F-47, there may be a move by his national security team to convince lawmakers on Capitol Hill that such a significant investment into the F/A-XX is not the correct decision. Trump has staked much of his political capital on the F-47, which will need considerable funds on its own.
The “Administration strongly supports reevaluating the F/A-XX program due to industrial base concerns of two sixth-generation programs occurring simultaneously,” the White House wrote. “Awarding the F/A-XX contract as written is likely to delay the higher-priority F-47 program, with low likelihood of improving the timeline to field a Navy sixth-generation fighter,” according to Breaking Defense.
The F/A-XX may not be able to survive the disagreement between the White House and Congress. But it makes sense that if the Air Force gets its F-47, the Navy deserves a new fighter too.
High Speed Air Superiority Is Needed
The maritime branch could use a faster carrier-borne jet to keep up with Chinese stealth models such as the J-20 and J-35. A MACH 2+ next-generation jet is something the Navy could put to use as the Super Hornet and Lightning II grow older.
We’ll keep an eye on how the fighter progresses. The Trump administration prefers the F-47 NGAD over the F/A-XX, but if Congressional lawmakers have their way on the appropriations side, the new naval fighter could see the light of day. And if it is built, the F/A-XX will be plenty fast and stealthy.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for US Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
Military Problems
No F/A-XX Fighter? Say Goodbye to the Aircraft Carrier
Ken Palmersheim
November 27, 2025 at 12:00 pm
I believe the FA-XX is far more critical to the defense of our nation than the f-47due the FA-XX aircraft carrier capability!