The Pentagon is prioritizing the Air Force’s F-47 stealth fighter over the Navy’s F/A-XX, citing budget constraints and production risks—potentially delaying the Navy’s next-generation aircraft program.

There can be only one. That may be a motto of a lackluster sci-fi film or TV series, but it may also be the situation that the United States Department of Defense (DoD) is facing with the future sixth-generation stealth fighters. Bloomberg first reported that the Pentagon may seek to prioritize the F-47, the centerpiece system of systems in the US Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. 

That could result in delaying the US Navy’s F/A-XX program, which aims to develop the eventual replacement for the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, its carrier-based multirole fighter.

In March, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that Boeing had been awarded the contract to build the F-47, sparking speculation that the F/A-XX contract award would soon follow. That didn’t happen, and now it appears that the DoD is concerned that pursuing two sixth-generation fighter programs will only delay both of them.

The Pentagon has gone to lawmakers to request that $500 million be directed from the F/A-XX program to the F-47.

“The House Armed Services Committee had added the money to the defense section of President Donald Trump’s signature tax-cut bill,” Bloomberg reported.

According to a document to the House and Senate defense policy committees, which Bloomberg saw, the Pentagon warned that “simultaneously pursuing two sixth-generation fighters risks under-delivery on both.”

It called for redirecting the $500 million to the F-47, which has Trump’s full support. That funding had part of the $3.9 trillion package already sent to the US Senate.

“Given the schedule delays and cost growth across numerous airframes, DoD recommends a focus on the F-47, giving the Navy’s F/A-XX program time for technical maturity and development,” the Pentagon document added. 

“Phasing the F/A-XX after the Air Force’s initial F-47 development will alleviate capacity concerns in the industrial base.”

Lawmakers Express Concerns for the F/A-XX Program

It is unclear, however, if lawmakers will allow the $500 million to be redirected as requested by the DoD.

“[The Pentagon] has yet to brief the committee on any changes for its plans to develop and procure [the F/A-XX],” committee spokesperson Heather Vaughan told Bloomberg. 

“Absent any new information from the Navy concerning revision to defined capability gaps and shortfalls, mission requirements, cost, or acquisition strategy for F/A-XX, the committee continues to support the development of this critical platform.”

The F-35 Fighter Jet Could Get Sixth-Gen Upgrades

Boeing edged out Lockheed Martin to secure the F-47 contract, while Boeing is also competing for the F/A-XX program against Northrop Grumman. Lockheed Martin had been eliminated from that competition just weeks before the F-47 winner was announced, which led to speculation it was the frontrunner in the Air Force’s NGAD program.

Instead of contesting the award, Lockheed Martin has indicated that it could integrate some of the sixth-generation capabilities developed for the NGAD into its F-35 Lightning II, the fifth-generation stealth fighter currently in service with the US military and its partners. President Donald Trump also suggested that an improved version of the F-35, dubbed the F-55, could be produced. However, aviation analysts have been skeptical of such a plan, which called for transforming the single-engine F-35 into a twin-engine multi-role fighter.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/United States Air Force.

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