The Pentagon is set to select the defense company that will design and build the Navy’s next stealth fighter. USAthe F/A-XX. It is a sixth-generation combat aircraft that aims to be the most advanced ever built, and that aims to be key to facing the war challenge that China is beginning to represent, a country that is accelerating its production of modern and advanced weapons, including laser defense systems and high-power microwave devices capable of disabling electronic systems or blinding enemy pilots.
According to the Reuters agency, companies Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp They compete to win the contract to produce the plane. The decision to move forward with the project, which has suffered delays, was made on Friday by the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.
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A dispute over project financing between the Pentagon and the Congress It delayed the progress of the program, Reuters noted.
A prototype of the F/A-XX. (Northrop Grumman).
What is known about the future F/A-XX fighter?
He F/A‑XX fighter will be the next embarked fighter plane from the United States; that is to say, designed to operate from an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship.
It will be the core of NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program of the Navy, and its deployment is planned for the 2030s.
Designed to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growlerthe backbone of American shipborne aviation since the 1990s, The F/A‑XX represents a radical transformation in the way naval airpower is understood.
Your goal is Ensure air superiority in highly contested environments for the next decades. Although a good part of its capabilities remain classified, open sources and official statements allow us to know some details of this ambitious project.
He F/A‑XX will be part of a “family of systems” focused on a sixth generation manned fighterwhich will operate in conjunction with a network of unmanned aerial vehicles —some of them disposable— capable of executing escort, intelligence, electronic warfare or attack missions.
This multiple combat approach will allow a single pilot to command multiple autonomous platforms in real time, thus extending fire, surveillance and survivability capabilities.
Although the final design has not been revealed, it is expected that the F/A‑XX have a profile of low radar signature (stealth) significantly higher than that of the Super Hornet. That is to say, will be more difficult to detect by modern radars and defense systemslike the A2/AD deployed by China in the Pacific. In practice, It will be considered an “invisible” ship.
Inside, the new fighter will integrate an open architecture that will facilitate the rapid incorporation of new sensors, software and weapons. It will be equipped with a latest generation AESA radarcapabilities high level electronic warfare, artificial intelligence for pilot support, and data connectivity that will allow it to act as a central node in multi-domain tactical networks.
Prototypes of what the F/A-XX fighter aircraft would be like.
How will it be designed to operate from aircraft carrierthe F/A‑XX will have to combine stealth capabilities with the robustness necessary to take off and land in demanding conditions. The design will include tailhook, reinforced gear and possibly folding surfaces to optimize deck storage.
Furthermore, it is expected that it has a greater flight rangeallowing you to operate further without relying on constant resupply.
Regarding its armament, the F/A-XX will carry long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles in internal warehouses, so as not to compromise its radar signature. Compatibility with hypersonic weapons and possibly directed energy systems like defensive lasers.
The official cost of the F/A‑XX has not yet been revealed, but experts estimate that the unit price could range between 200 and 300 million dollarsnot including the costs of the complete system with unmanned vehicles.
In total, the program may require tens of billions of dollars over the next few decades.
The US Navy plans a initial entry into service for the second half of the 2030salthough the schedule is subject to budgetary and technical changes.
China and Russia, the competitors
A Chinese-made Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter flies during the 15th International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, on November 15, 2024. (Photo: Hector Retamal / AFP).
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The fighters of avant-garde against which the F/A‑XX are the Chinese Chengdu J-20 and the Russian Sukhoi Su-57.
He Chengdu J-20also known as Mighty Dragon, is the main fifth-generation stealth fighter developed by China.
Manufactured by the state company Chengdu Aerospace Corporationrepresents the culmination of more than two decades of investment and technological espionage, and is considered the pillar of the air power of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Its development was part of the objective of China to compete on equal terms with the United States in modern air warfare.
Its low detectability (stealth) design reduces the radar signature, while its size—larger than most Western equivalents—allows it to transport large amounts of fuel and weapons in internal compartmentsavoiding the use of external supports that would increase its visibility.
The J-20 combines stealth with maneuverability. It is optimized for missions long range interception and precision strikes against strategic targets.
It can carry a wide range of long range air-to-air missileslike the PL-15designed to rival the American AIM-120D; and the PL-10 for close range combat. All are transported internally, reinforcing the aircraft’s stealth. Its estimated range exceeds 2,000 kilometers.
A Russian Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet flies during an exhibition in China, November 14, 2024. (Photo: HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP).
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While the Sukhoi Su-57 It is the first fifth generation stealth fighter developed by Russia and symbolizes the Kremlin’s attempt to maintain an air combat capability on par with the United States and Chinacombining stealth, power and extreme maneuverability.
It was officially presented in 2010 and entered limited service in 2020. Despite the delays and industrial problems that have marked its development, it has become the technological spearhead of the Russian Air Forceeven deployed in combat operations in Syria and Ukraine as a test bed for its real performance.
The Su-57 was designed to meet air superiority and multi-role attack missions. Unlike its Western counterparts that prioritize absolute stealth, the Russian design seeks a balance between low observability and maneuverability.
Its structure presents a combination of angled and curved surfaces to reduce the radar signature, although it does not reach the level of invisibility of the United States F-22 or F-35. Instead, it stands out for its movable ailerons, vector nozzles and a fuselage optimized for extreme turnsgiving him outstanding agility in close combat.
The Su-57 has internal compartments for air-to-air missiles and guided bombs, as well as external pylons to increase payload in missions where stealth is not a priority.
Among its main weapons are the R-77M air-to-air missilehe R-74 short rangeand development versions of the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic missilewhich would expand its strategic role beyond aerial combat. It can also carry KAB-250 and KAB-500 guided bombs for precision strikes.
