BA Stock Climbs After Boeing Secures $20 Billion Contract as Pentagon Pushes Next-Generation Carrier Fighter Program After Years of Delays
Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA ) has won a contract worth more than $20 billion to develop the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation stealth fighter, beating Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC ) and securing its second major sixth-generation fighter program in two years. F/A-XX Brings Stealth, Range And Integration The Pentagon said the full-scale development award covers multiple test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems and weapons-integration testing. "F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter," Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Duffey said, calling the aircraft a "crucial, non-negotiable investment" in long-term U.S. air-combat capability. Department of War and U.S. Navy Award Contract for F/A-XX Program — Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) September 29, 2026 The aircraft is intended to begin replacing the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers in the 2030s. Navy officials have previously said the sixth-generation platform should bring greater range, advanced sensors and lethality while integrating with crewed and uncrewed systems. Read Also: NASA Chief Gives Boeing Starliner Second Chanc
Boeing Co. S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation stealth fighter, beating Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC ) and securing its second major sixth-generation fighter program in two years.
F/A-XX Brings Stealth, Range And Integration The Pentagon said the full-scale development award covers multiple test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems and weapons-integration testing. S. air-combat capability. S.
Navy Award Contract for F/A-XX Program — Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) September 29, 2026 The aircraft is intended to begin replacing the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers in the 2030s. Navy officials have previously said the sixth-generation platform should bring greater range, advanced sensors and lethality while integrating with crewed and uncrewed systems. Read Also: NASA Chief Gives Boeing Starliner Second Chance After 2024 Mishap — Uncrewed Flight Could Come By Early 2027: ‘Fastest Path to Preserving Reliable Crewed Access’ to LEO The award gives Boeing’s St.
Louis defense operations a major next-generation fighter program as production of the Navy’s Super Hornets and Growlers winds down. Boeing Defense CEO Steve Parker said investments in "new facilities uniquely suited to build multiple products with next-generation capabilities" leave the company ready to execute the program. Boeing Secures Second Sixth-Generation Fighter Win The victory follows Boeing’s 2025 win over Lockheed Martin for the Air Force’s F-47, another development contract worth more than $20 billion.
That selection had already revived Boeing’s fighter business, while the F/A-XX award now places the company at the center of both services’ sixth-generation fighter efforts. Delays Give Way To Long-Term Fleet Plan The Navy competition had faced repeated delays over engineering and supply-chain capacity. 4 billion for fiscal 2026. Lockheed Martin was eliminated from the competition in March 2025, leaving Boeing and Northrop as finalists.
The Navy expects first production aircraft in the 2030s, with the F/A-XX operating alongside more than 270 planned F-35Cs while Super Hornets remain in service into the 2040s. 23. Read Also: FTAI Acquires 27 Boeing 737-700s to Expand Aviation Businesses Photo courtesy: Shutterstock