Key Points and Summary – Boeing has teased a new conceptual rendering of its F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter, which appears to share design elements with its F-47 concept for the Air Force.
-The reveal comes as the Navy’s F/A-XX program, once frozen to prioritize the Air Force’s jet, is moving forward again.
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We’ve got a new look at Boeing’s F/A-XX design. First on @AviationWeek https://t.co/71vbIFAGUg
— Brian Everstine (@beverstine) August 28, 2025
-A recent funding U-turn by the Senate Appropriations Committee has resurrected the project, and the Navy’s “Air Boss” says he is now eagerly awaiting the final decision on which contractor—Boeing or Northrop Grumman—will be selected to build the vital next-generation carrier aircraft.
Boeing Teases F/A-XX Design As Navy Anticipates Vendor Selection
A new rendering of Boeing’s F/A-XX concept reveals plans by the aerospace giant to incorporate parts of the F-47 design into the Navy’s program, should it be chosen as an official vendor to produce the service’s sixth-generation fighter.
The rendering, which was revealed during the Tailhook Symposium held last week, offers a limited glimpse of the aircraft’s design.
The plane is shown flying through clouds over a Navy carrier. Some sections of the plane are not visible. No tail can be seen on the aircraft, and areas on the aircraft that might normally feature wingtips and canards cannot be seen.
It reflects a pattern seen in official renderings released by Boeing for its F-47 design for the U.S. Air Force.
Official renderings for the F-47 also cover crucial parts of the aircraft, either to intentionally hide key features of the plane, or because development remains underway.
Both aircraft are expected to be quite different, with one designed expressly for Air Force operations and the other designed to be flown from U.S. aircraft carriers. Despite that, the images suggest that the proposed F/A-XX sixth-generation aircraft from Boeing shares a similar cockpit design to its F-47 design – at least, for now.
Any renderings released at this stage are unlikely to fully reflect the eventual capabilities and appearance of the Navy’s next-generation aircraft, even if it is ultimately chosen by the Pentagon as the winning design.
Northrop Grumman recently released a rendering of its own proposed design for the program.
F/A-XX Funding U-Turn Saves Project
The future of the F/A-XX project has been in question for some time.
In July, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a draft defense spending bill that would provide crucial funding for the program after the Pentagon previously reallocated funds to focus resources primarily on the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.
$1.4 billion in funding for the F/A-XX program was set aside by the latest version of the 2026 fiscal year Defense Appropriations Bill.
A month earlier, the Pentagon’s proposed 2026 budget set aside only enough funding to complete initial development work, leaving analysts and Navy officials concerned about the future of the program.
The decision was initially made to avoid competition between the Air Force and Navy programs over fears that the U.S. industrial base could not meet the demands of both projects.
Navy “Looking Forward” to Vendor Decision
The news follows reports that the Navy is waiting for Pentagon officials to choose a vendor to build the service’s next-generation jet.
Speaking to reporters at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) earlier this week, the Navy’s air boss described a sense of excitement within the service on F/A-XX.
“It’s going to be a very exciting aircraft. I’m looking forward to the downselect,” Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever said.
“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.”
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York who writes frequently for National Security Journal. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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