The F/A-XX fighter series is expected to reach operational capacity sometime in the early 2030s.
While the US Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program continues to make headlines as its development progresses, the Navy’s own sixth-gen conception seems to have fallen under the radar. However, based on recent reports, the upcoming F/A-XX fighter appears to be making headway. Specifically, manufacturer Northrop Grumman has published a conceptual rendering of the Navy’s next-generation carrier-based fighter jet. While it is unclear whether or not the final product of the F/A-XX will be very similar to the newly released image, this new development indicates Northrop could be inching along in its development phase for the Navy platform. In a heavily shadowed image, a futuristic-looking jet appears to be taking off from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. The fighter pictured appears extremely streamlined; however, not all views of the aircraft are visible, making more specific observations difficult to ascertain.
The War Zone pinpointed several of the more obvious features of the F/A-XX rendering. Specifically, the military hardware-centric outlet detailed that the fuselage depicted in the image appears to have loads of ventral depth to it, meaning internal weapons and fuel could be stored here. Additionally, the bubble canopy indicates the fighter will be solo-piloted. In terms of stealth, the fighter’s streamlined design, coupled with its changing radiused features, indicates that the platform’s low-observability could be next-level.
Introducing the F/A-XX
Designed to eventually replace the Navy’s existing F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18 Growler fighters, the F/A-XX is expected to host all the latest and greatest technologies. The upcoming fighter series is expected to reach operational capacity sometime in the early 2030s. While the Navy first issued a formal request for a next-generation jet platform in 2012, F/A-XX’s conception dates back even further. The sixth-gen aircraft is expected to fly alongside the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II and UCLASS unmanned aircraft when introduced.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman all lined up to compete for the F/A-XX contract. Lockheed reportedly dropped out of the race, and Boeing and Northrop are left to compete against each other to secure the contract. When it comes to the next-generation fighter’s engine, Pratt & Whitney and OEMS GE Aerospace are going up against each other to secure this contract. While Reuters indicated earlier this year that the Navy was set to reveal the winner of the F/A-XX contract, the award is pending.
While details surrounding the exact specs and capabilities of the F/A-XX project remain highly classified, the service has revealed that the upcoming sixth-gen fighter will be designed to operate alongside uncrewed platforms, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft. The sixth-gen manned fighter will fly alongside these loyal “wingman drones” to reduce overall program costs. The Air Force’s concurrent NGAD endeavor will also incorporate highly autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The United States is not the only nation headed in the direction of unmanned fighter capabilities. Beijing is also allegedly working to develop its own sixth-generation fighter program incorporating the same kind of autonomous UAV function.
About the author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, The Jerusalem Post, and The Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: DVIDS.
