Key Points and Summary – Congressional committees are moving to restore $1.4 billion in funding for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation fighter, directly challenging a Pentagon budget that effectively froze the program.
-The Trump administration has argued that the defense industrial base cannot handle developing both the F/A-XX and the Air Force’s F-47 simultaneously.
-However, top Navy officials insist the long-range F/A-XX is essential for its aircraft carriers to remain viable against threats from peer adversaries like China.
-This has created a direct conflict between Congress and the Navy on one side and the Pentagon on the other.
Congress Breathes Life Into Navy’s F/A-XX Program
In a significant development, the Senate and House Appropriations Committees have acted to reinstate funds for the Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter and the Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C platform.
The Senate Defense Appropriations Bill now moves to the Senate floor. He appropriates $1.4 billion for F/A-XX and $647 million for E-7, squarely addressing the Navy’s Unfunded Priority List and responding to a defense budget that had only funded initial F/A-XX development, not procurement.
While the proposed Pentagon spending bill didn’t kill the F/A-XX program, it provided just enough money to continue development. Now there will be enough money for procurement as well.
Industrial Base Can’t Handle Two New Systems Simultaneously
Military officials have said that this decision was made to avoid competition for resources with the US Air Force’s F-47 sixth-generation fighter program amid concerns that the industrial base in the United States cannot handle work on both efforts simultaneously.
President Trump issued a statement saying there may not be enough engineering talent available in the industry to develop both F/A-XX and F-47 at the same time.
It also claimed that pursuing the F/A-XX “is likely to delay the higher-priority F-47 program, with low likelihood” of getting the F/A-XX in a timely fashion. It didn’t say when the F/A-XX might be reconsidered.
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan also has concerns about the industrial base and how some of the Navy’s other programs are faring.
“I do not have a lot of confidence. All of our programs are in trouble. We have several companies that are not performing. We’ve got to get those done. So I think looking at this system, sixth-gen is important … And so I think we have to get more confidence in the [industrial] base,” Phelan said.
“This is a system that you know, as I said in my opening statement about readiness, readiness means, like ready, like today and then in the future—and how is that future changing and how do we think about that?
“And so that’s we’re looking at it, evaluating it, and trying to make sure that we’re not back here in two years saying, ‘We told you it was going to cost X, it’s going to be X plus 50, and by the way, it’s going to be late,'” he added.
Industry giants Boeing and Northrop Grumman disagree with the assessment, contending that the American aerospace industry is capable of handling both programs.
“We planned to be able to do both, win both, and deliver both,” said Boeing Defense and Space CEO Steve Parker.
The Navy Needs the F/A-XX Fighter
Adm. Daryl Caudle, President Trump’s nominee to be chief of naval operations, told lawmakers that the Navy needs a sixth-generation fighter jet as quickly as possible or risk losing its edge over adversaries.
“Nothing in the Joint Force projects combat power from the sea as a Carrier Strike Group, which at the heart has a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN). To maintain this striking power, the CVN must have an air wing that is comprised of the most advanced strike fighters.
“Therefore, the ability to maintain air superiority against peer competitors will be put at risk if the Navy is unable to field a 6th Generation strike fighter on a relevant timeline.
“Without a replacement for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler, the Navy will be forced to retrofit 4th generation aircraft and increase procurement of 5th generation aircraft to attempt to compete with the new 6th generation aircraft that the threat is already flying,” Caudle wrote.
“The Navy has a validated requirement for carrier-based 6th generation aircraft, and we must field that capability as quickly as possible to give our warfighters the capabilities they need to win against a myriad of emerging threats,” he added.
In the event of a war with China, the Navy has correctly assumed that its carrier strike groups will need to operate from greater distances to stay outside the reach of China’s advanced missile threats. But its current air wing—dominated by F/A-18 Super Hornets—lacks the range to accomplish this.
The F/A-XX, designed for long-range, highly networked operations in contested airspace, including the loyal wingman program, would replace the Super Hornet and complement the F-35C.
The Navy insists that it’s not just about upgrading fighters; it’s about ensuring that its carriers remain viable platforms for power projection in a more hostile operating environment, while protecting its most significant assets.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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