The Navy F/A-XX Fighter Nightmare Explained in One Word

Catastrophe?: The U.S. Navy is advancing its F/A-XX program, a sixth-generation fighter designed to replace the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G and complement the F-35C in carrier operations.

-Despite budget concerns that have delayed funding by approximately $1 billion, the Navy remains committed to the project, emphasizing its potential to expand operational reach, create long-range kill chains, and enhance autonomy through artificial intelligence and drone integration.

– The F/A-XX is currently in a “source selection environment” with major defense contractors such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman vying for the contract. The winner is expected to be announced next year.

-Critics argue that the program could be costly because its improvements over existing capabilities would be only marginal, suggesting that investing in advanced drones in combination with current aircraft could be more cost-effective.

Navy Moves Forward with F/A-XX Boondoggle

Sixth generation combat aircraft all this is a craze today. Every military man needs one of these. In the USA, not only the Air Force is feverishly working on its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platformbut the Navy also looks longingly at the Air Force, dreaming of sixth-generation birds landing and taking off from USS Gerald R. Ford? The Air Force’s NGAD program is already in trouble and is in danger of being cancelled.

The Navy’s plan to compete with the Air Force is to build its own expensive sixth-generation military aircraft. But the Navy cannot keep up with the times. Don’t worry, the Air Force can’t cover the cost of the NGAD, and the Navy is far behind the Air Force in developing its vaunted F/A-XX.

That’s what’s happening with the F/A-XX, the Navy’s “NGAD.”

F/A-XX Updates

Recent reports indicate a mixed picture in terms of program funding and development. At first there was a lot of enthusiasm for making this thing. Now that budgets are tightening, the creation of this next-generation platform is delayed. Navy deferred approximately $1 billion to fund the aircraft, which will redirect these critical financial resources to short-term operational readiness due to financial pressures.

The decision reflects broader budget challenges facing the Navy, as the maritime industry is not the only service trying to “modernize” its force.

Everywhere the Pentagon looks, it is surrounded by growing foreign threat actors, both traditional state and non-state variants. Some of these competitors, such as China, are becoming more advanced.

To better deal with these problems, Americans believe the solution is to spend more money on more complex systems. To better sell these complex platforms to a skeptical Congress, the Navy emphasized the side effects Program F/A-XX will contribute to the further overall technological development of the Navy.

The Navy says the F/A-XX will increase the range of its carrier-based platforms. create long-distance kill chainsincrease the autonomy of its carrier-based combat aircraft (as the F/A-XX will include artificial intelligence and drone swarms) and ensure greater survivability of its pilots in combat conditions.

The F/A-XX is currently in “source selection environment” This means the country’s three largest defense contractors are still vying for the contract (Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman).

The winner is expected to be selected by the Navy next year.

The capabilities of this fighter

So, obviously, reports of the program’s closure are greatly exaggerated. Really, Aviationist reports that the Navy is “protecting” the F/A-XX program “from the impact of the Air Force’s NGAD review.” Navy leaders insist that by separating the development of the Navy’s F/A-XX aircraft from the Air Force’s NGAD combat system, they will be able to reduce costs (which is interesting, since sharing the R&D burden typically reduces the associated costs).

Things like the F/A-XX engine will be very different from the next-generation powerplant the Air Force was planning for its expensive NGAD platform. The Navy is considering a “more derivative” turbofan engine design compared to what the Air Force has been trying to achieve, Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly said.

Plans for the fleet

F/A-XX must replace F/A-18E/F And EA-18G Fourth generation combat aircraft. The F/A-XX is designed to expand the capabilities of the fifth-generation F-35C carrier-based combat aircraft that are now (finally) entering service with the Navy.

However, despite what the Navy says, the F/A-XX there won’t be be a cheap system.

They should look to build advanced drones that are designed to fly alongside the sixth-generation F/A-XX manned combat aircraft, and integrate those drones with existing carrier fleet combat aircraft.

However, regardless of what the author believes, it appears that the Navy is interested in spending our hard-earned tax dollars that will only marginally improve the capabilities of the US Navy’s carrier-based gliders.

About the author

Brandon J. Weichertnational interest, national security analystformer congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who has written for The Washington Times, Asia Times and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Conquering Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacking: China’s Race to Control Life, and Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Catastrophe of Our Own Creation: How the West Lost Ukraine, can be purchased wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed on Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image credit: Creative Commons.