US Navy Set To Pick Builder For F/A-XX Stealth Fighter As China Expands Aircraft Carrier Fleet

The US Navy may finally be on the verge of selecting the company that will build its next generation carrier-based stealth fighter, the F/A-XX, a program seen as central to maintaining America’s edge over China at sea.

According to a Reuters report, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week approved the move to choose the winning design, ending months of speculation about a decision that has been repeatedly delayed. The timing is significant as it comes just days after President Donald Trump boarded the carrier USS George H W Bush to mark the Navy’s 250th anniversary and witness a display of its air power, including the F/A-18 Super Hornets that the new fighter will replace.

The contest has reportedly narrowed to Boeing and Northrop Grumman. Boeing, which also produces the US Air Force’s new sixth generation F-47, is seen as a strong contender. Northrop Grumman, builder of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, has focused heavily on the naval program after pulling out of the Air Force project in 2023. Lockheed Martin, maker of the F-35, was eliminated earlier this year.

Funding delays have slowed the F/A-XX program. The Pentagon’s 2026 budget provided only limited money for early development amid concerns that US industry may be overstretched managing both the F-47 and F/A-XX. The Senate has since proposed restoring 1.4 billion dollars to keep the Navy program on track.

For Washington, the urgency is clear. China’s naval aviation is advancing at an unprecedented pace. The stealthy J-35 carrier fighter is believed to be in limited service, and flight trials are underway on the new Fujian carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults similar to those on US carriers.

As the United States debates industrial capacity and budget priorities, Beijing is rapidly closing the technological gap at sea.