F/A-XX
The US Navy's sixth-generation carrier fighter, built to fight from a moving base inside China's missile range.
Carrier-based air superiority, long-range strike and electronic attack in one airframe.
STRENGTHS
- About 25% more range than current carrier jets (Navy)
- Low-signature design; internal weapons expected (est.)
- Built to lead carrier drones and fly with the MQ-25 tanker
WEAKNESSES
- Years from first flight; numbers and unit cost not released
- Carrier strength adds weight that costs fuel
- Boeing builds it alongside the F-47, T-7 and F-15EX
The F/A-XX carries three jobs: shooting down threats in the air, striking ships and land targets from long range, and electronic attack. Every parking spot on a carrier deck has to earn its place, so one airframe takes over from both the Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler.
Boeing won the development contract, worth more than 20 billion dollars, on 29 September 2026, eighteen months after it won the Air Force's F-47. The single rendering the Navy released on award day appears to show a wide body, heavy landing gear, low-set intakes, one cockpit and no vertical tails.
Why it matters
Against a strong opponent, analysts estimate US carriers may have to stand off 800 to 1,200 nautical miles, while today's carrier jets have a combat radius of roughly 500 to 600 (est.). The Navy says the F/A-XX will probably have more than 125 percent of the range of current carrier aircraft, about a quarter more, and it is designed to fly with combat drones and the MQ-25 tanker rather than alone.
