By Mike Stone
WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Boeing has been selected to build the US Navy's next-generation stealth fighter, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, the aerospace company's second consecutive major win on fighter jets and capping months of delay over a program that is central to countering China in the Pacific.
Boeing beat out rival Northrop Grumman Corp for the development contract, worth $20 billion, to produce test aircraft. The program could grow to hundreds of billions over its lifetime
as production ramps up and, potentially, as international customers place orders.
Boeing was also selected in March last year to build the Air Force's new stealthy F-47 fighter, giving it two marquee sixth-generation jet contracts in consecutive years.
Boeing was viewed as a strong contender throughout the competition because of its long history building carrier-based fighters for the Navy, including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet that the new fighter is designed to replace. That pedigree helped offset questions raised by defense officials about whether Boeing could field enough engineers and suppliers to execute both the F-47 and Navy fighter simultaneously — concerns that appear to have been resolved in the company's favor.
Boeing shares were up 2.25% in extended trading on Tuesday, while Northrop shares were down 3.5%.
ST. LOUIS PRODUCTION BOOST
The contract is a significant boost for Boeing's fighter production operations in St. Louis, Missouri, which is shutting down the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler production lines.
Steve Parker, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said in a statement the company has made investments "in new facilities uniquely suited to build multiple products with next-generation capabilities, our dedicated and talented team is ready to execute this critical program."
Currently designated the "F/A-XX" program, the new jet will be the centerpiece of the Navy's Next Generation Air Dominance family of systems.
The jet "represents a crucial, non-negotiable investment in America’s national security and long-term air combat capabilities," Michael Duffey, the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, said in a statement.
DELAYS AND CONGRESSIONAL INTERVENTION
Still, it has been buffeted by delays and funding disputes for years. Some Pentagon officials had sought to delay it by up to three years, citing engineering and supply-chain capacity concerns, before Congress intervened, earmarking $750 million for the program in the 2025 tax-cut and spending law and an additional $1.4 billion in fiscal 2026.
Lockheed Martin Corp was eliminated from the competition in March 2025 after Navy officials determined its design had not met required criteria, leaving Boeing and Northrop as the finalists.
With China rapidly fielding advanced combat aircraft, including designs Beijing describes as sixth-generation, the Navy has faced pressure to move quickly or risk operating without a modern carrier-based fighter in the 2030s and beyond.
The new jet is expected to feature advanced stealth capabilities, improved range and endurance, and the ability to integrate with uncrewed combat aircraft and the Navy's carrier-based air defense systems.
The Navy still plans to buy more than 270 Lockheed Martin F-35C jets for its carrier fleet, which will fly alongside the F/A-XX once it enters service. First production F/A-XX jets are expected in the 2030s, while the Super Hornet fleet, in service since the 1990s, is expected to remain flying into the 2040s.
(Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Edmund Klamann and Matthew Lewis)
