US Navy’s next-gen aircraft contract award expected this week
The F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet will be replaced by the F/A-XX programme’s sixth-generation aircraft. (Photo: USN)
The F/A-XX programme is the US Navy’s answer to improving air superiority against the rising threat of China in the Indo-Pacific.
The US Navy (USN) intends to pick a contractor for its next-generation aircraft this week, according to sources close to the matter, as reported by Reuters.
The two companies still in the running are Boeing and Northrop Grumman, since Lockheed Martin reportedly bowed out of the bid in March 2025.
This latest news follows the awarding of the US Air Force’s (USAF) Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) contract to Boeing on 21 March. Furthermore, the US Senate confirmed John Phelan as the Trump administration’s Navy Secretary on 24 March and he is expected to be sworn in over the next
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