Key Points and Summary on F/A-XX Fighter Funding Woes – The U.S. Navy is quietly fighting back against a Pentagon decision to sideline its next-generation F/A-XX stealth fighter program.
-While the official FY2026 budget prioritizes the Air Force’s F-47 with $3.5 billion, the Navy has placed a $1.4 billion request for the F/A-XX on its “Unfunded Priorities List” to Congress.
(Jan 31, 2009) An F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31 launches from the flight deck of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 are operating in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility and are focused on reassuring regional partners of the United States’ commitment to security, which promotes stability and global prosperity (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder/Released)
-This move signals a deep disagreement over the future of naval aviation and challenges the Pentagon’s assertion that the U.S. defense industrial base can only handle one major 6th-gen fighter program at a time, leaving the F/A-XX on life support.
F/A-XX Could Be In Big Trouble
The U.S. Navy is quietly keeping hopes alive for its next-generation F/A-XX carrier-based fighter, even as the Pentagon doubles down on the Air Force’s sixth-generation F-47 stealth jet.
According to reports, the Navy has included a $1.4 billion request for the F/A-XX in its annual Unfunded Priorities List (UPL) to Congress, despite official budget plans sidelining the program.
Navy Versus Pentagon
The move signals a deepening rift between the Navy and Pentagon leadership over the future of naval air power.
The Trump administration had allocated just $74 million in its FY2026 defense budget to finish the design phase of the F/A-XX, citing concerns that the U.S. defense industrial base cannot simultaneously support full-speed development of both the Navy’s F/A-XX and the Air Force’s F-47.
But the Navy’s wishlist tells another story. “This additional funding will enable Navy to award the 6th Generation Strike Fighter contract to industry,” the document reportedly states.
Navy officials insist the F/A-XX is critical to the evolving “Air Wing of the Future” concept—an integrated system of manned and unmanned aircraft designed to extend range, survivability, and strike capabilities in contested environments.
Members of the US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet Demo Team performs a maneuver at the Wings Over South Texas Air Show. This year’s air show marks the first return of Wings Over South Texas to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi since 2019.
That concept also includes the MQ-25 Stingray drone, another Boeing project, and envisions a future where up to 60% of the carrier air wing is uncrewed.
Firms Compete for Contract
Industry giants Boeing and Northrop Grumman remain in competition for the F/A-XX contract, with Lockheed Martin reportedly out of the race since March. Boeing, notably, is also the lead contractor on the F-47 program—highlighting the tangled industrial politics at play.
The Pentagon’s position is clear: prioritize the F-47. In March, President Trump threw his weight behind the Air Force’s program, freeing up $3.5 billion in funding and making it a strategic centerpiece. A senior defense official bluntly stated that the industrial base can “only handle going fast on one program at this time.”
But Navy leaders aren’t backing down. Testifying before Congress last month, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and acting Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby reaffirmed their commitment to developing a manned sixth-generation fighter.
Phelan pointed to a lack of confidence in current contractor performance, suggesting the service needs options—and leverage.
F/A-XX U.S. Navy Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Capacity for Both?
Even Boeing’s Defense CEO, Steve Parker, has challenged the narrative that industry capacity is too constrained to handle both programs.
Ultimately, it will fall to Congress to decide whether to heed the Navy’s plea or stand by the Pentagon’s prioritization.
In past budget cycles, lawmakers have overridden the Defense Department’s preferences, funding pet projects or critical capabilities deemed politically or strategically vital.
MORE – A 7th Generation Fighter Could Happen
For now, the Navy’s ambitions for F/A-XX may be on life support, but they’re far from dead.
The wishlist makes one thing clear: the fight for air superiority is not just happening in the skies, but in the halls of Washington, too.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
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