US Navy 6th Gen Fighter - F/A-XX

FighterJock said:
Let's wait and see nn8734, I would like downselect to happen now in September after the no show in August but I am certainly not holding my breath.
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I'm starting to wonder if it will be the sacrificial lamb if Congress torpedoes the defense budget. (Probably one of many.)
 
Sferrin said:
I'm starting to wonder if it will be the sacrificial lamb if Congress torpedoes the defense budget. (Probably one of many.)
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Congress will not torpedo the NDAA. The administration will most likely get close to most of what it asked for in the appropriations process. In the lameduck period. Its the out of appropriations process request, that is the reconciliation bill, that is unlikely (they may get a fraction of what they asked for) and frankly it was pretty much DOA once it was presented given its size. It was a risky move at the time instead of just asking for an adequate base defense budget though I understand some of the munition expansion work needed and included there needed a decade or more to be realized so had to be part of that vehicle.
 
EmoBirb said:
September 2028 that is, probably, lol
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Ha! The Air Force will be issuing RFPs for X-wing fighters, star destroyers and a Death Star before the Navy awards the F/A-XX EMD contract.

Though if I understand the pod cast right, the Navy has already made a selection but are waiting on Trump, Hegseth and a couple other sr leaders between them and Navy acquisitions brass to give the green light. I still think this odd ball delay and the similar six-month long NGAD “pause” was/is major disinformation aimed at China, primarily. These contracts were awarded months before the announcement, in the case of the Air Force and likely the Navy.

I certainly could be wrong…
 
nn8734 said:
Ha! The Air Force will be issuing RFPs for X-wing fighters, star destroyers and a Death Star before the Navy awards the F/A-XX EMD contract.

Though if I understand the pod cast right, the Navy has already made a selection but are waiting on Trump, Hegseth and a couple other sr leaders between them and Navy acquisitions brass to give the green light. I still think this odd ball delay and the similar six-month long NGAD “pause” was/is major disinformation aimed at China, primarily. These contracts were awarded months before the announcement, in the case of the Air Force and likely the Navy.

I certainly could be wrong…
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Could be disinformation, there could an NG F/A-XX black demonstrator which had a classified flight test program some time ago and a EMD version ready to be built but I could be wrong as well. I just say this because NG dropped out of USAF NGAD right at the beginning of that program.
 
Hydroman said:
Could be disinformation, there could an NG F/A-XX black demonstrator which had a classified flight test program some time ago and a EMD version ready to be built but I could be wrong as well. I just say this because NG dropped out of USAF NGAD right at the beginning of that program.
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The Dorito video above Area51 could be some sort of demonstrator under Black with Navy ?
 
Hydroman said:
Could be disinformation, there could an NG F/A-XX black demonstrator which had a classified flight test program some time ago and a EMD version ready to be built but I could be wrong as well. I just say this because NG dropped out of USAF NGAD right at the beginning of that program.
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And I do know a contractor who was hired by NG as a designer, specifically for the F/A-XX over a year ago, and is just waiting for the announcement. (Of course, I'd think it likely both teams are doing that so they can hit the ground running.)
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-na...sion-be-unveiled-soon-sources-say-2026-09-08/

Reuters reports that a contractor has now been selected, with an announcement to follow "soon," which it then describes as "in the coming weeks or sooner".

While it's possible that this is just a reiteration of last month's news, I think it's probably an indicator that the Decider has now Decided...not sure if that means a Source Selection Authority, SECDEF himself, or the President, but based on last month's reporting, somebody outside of DoN, either accepting the DoN recommendation or not.

If it's NG, September 22 would be a pretty appropriate day because of its Tomcat connections...
 
Hydroman said:
Could be disinformation, there could an NG F/A-XX black demonstrator which had a classified flight test program some time ago and a EMD version ready to be built but I could be wrong as well. I just say this because NG dropped out of USAF NGAD right at the beginning of that program.
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Hopefully it is. Otherwise, DOD dragging their feet on both of these sixth generation fighter programs like this is criminal. Especially with the Navy’s F/A-XX…
 
I just want some gen-AI intern made, contractor redacted, navy airbrushed "official" concept drawings that we can spend another 6 months arguing over, making 3d models and then find it featured on TMZ.

Stop edging us and just drop it like its hot. Im gonna die of boredom reading DoD speak everyday without an announcement.
 
Reddington777 said:
I just want some gen-AI intern made, contractor redacted, navy airbrushed "official" concept drawings that we can spend another 6 months arguing over, making 3d models and then find it featured on TMZ.

Stop edging us and just drop it like its hot. Im gonna die of boredom reading DoD speak everyday without an announcement.
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If TMZ pulled in then we can get idiot celebrity viewpoints and we can't have that. I assume you meant TWZ but maybe not.
 
Hydroman said:
If TMZ pulled in then we can get idiot celebrity viewpoints and we can't have that. I assume you meant TWZ but maybe not.
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“You’ll never believe what Olivia Rodrigo has to say about the US Navy’s sixth generation fighter!” and when you click through to the article it’s just a picture of her with the quote, “It’s a strike fighter.”
 
EmoBirb said:
I'd laugh if Boeing would bag this as well, not because of your comment or me having any investment in Boeing, but just because people wouldn't have expected it. Next Gen tactical fighter monopoly, lol.
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Laugh but perhaps also cry for me. I sure hope not, would hate for Boeing to repeat the last 15 years of performance but that historical record likely isn't highly weighted on the evaluation criteria.
 
EmoBirb said:
I'd laugh if Boeing would bag this as well, not because of your comment or me having any investment in Boeing, but just because people wouldn't have expected it. Next Gen tactical fighter monopoly, lol.
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That's why I don't see Boeing getting the FAXX. It'd give one contractor the monopoly. While Northrop has some capacity spare on top of B-21 production.
 
Do you guys think any of the folks who were working the X-47B on the Navy side would be in a position now to be the senior leadership that saw how they executed NA and subsequently back them up as a choice? Not that the programs are too* related. But I do see the natural progression of time guiding such a choice.
 
Sferrin said:
And Boeing no less. It's not like McDonnell Douglas when they had the F-4, F-15, F/A-18 and AV-8B.
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F-4 was doing FMS by that time. some 5000 total produced.
F-15 was USAF, 750ish made.
F/A-18 was USN/USMC, 500ish made.
Harrier was USMC, and only about 300 made.
 
Scott Kenny said:
F-4 was doing FMS by that time. some 5000 total produced.
F-15 was USAF, 750ish made.
F/A-18 was USN/USMC, 500ish made.
Harrier was USMC, and only about 300 made.
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More like:
F-15 A/B/C/D: 1,020
F-15E/I/S/K/SG/EX, etc: 400 and counting.
Legacy Hornet: 1,480
Super Hornet: 630 as of 2020

My point is that they were in capable hands with McDonnell Douglas. Were they trouble-free? Of course not. But a HELL of a lot better than the performance we've seen from Boeing on multiple programs over the last ten years. Yes, Boeing has been making Eagle and Hornets for years now, but by the time they started they were just turning the crank on the machine. McDonnell Douglas built the machine.
 
Reddington777 said:
I dont know if its just the last ten years lol. Was doing some reading on the B-29 and even that was a pretty troublesome project.
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To be fair, the B-29 was pretty advanced for its time. Looking at the B-39 though, I wonder what might have happened had they gone with that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_XB-39_Superfortress

B-39
Performance
  • Maximum speed: 405 mph (648 km/h, 351 kn)
  • Range: 6,290 mi (10,060 km, 5,460 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 35,000 ft (11,000 m)
B-29
Performance
  • Maximum speed: 357 mph (575 km/h, 310 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 220 mph (350 km/h, 190 kn)
  • Stall speed: 105 mph (169 km/h, 91 kn)
  • Range: 3,250 mi (5,230 km, 2,820 nmi)
  • Ferry range: 5,600 mi (9,000 km, 4,900 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 31,850 ft (9,710 m)
 
I think people factored in only the F-47 and B-21 teams when thinking about this, but the aerospace workforce is also busy doing CCA, UCAV, autonomy and space work. Just at boeing they are busy getting the mq-25 and 28s out in addition to B-52 E7 stuff.

And in the grand scheme of things perhaps the priorities prioritize fielding an acceptable number and qualtiy of CCA as a more dire need than having two manned fighters and a strategic stealth bomber. I also expect that CCA designs from each company are not stopping at where things are now. New blocks are being developed. New capabilites and possibly airframe modifications. These all call for a permanent or at least a semi permanent team to be working on them.

Even for a single aircraft the development team and support could take up a lot of man power already and there are components and devs / engineers that you really cant cut working on CCAs either.

If it really was just trump and hegseth saying it, maybe they are full of shit, but perhaps the concern isnt completely overblown. The article talks about how this shortage isnt just with regards to F-47 and F/A-XX.
 
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“The F/A-XX program remains on track, and we have no further information to provide at this time,” a Navy official told us last week.

I have the feeling that the FA/XX will realy start after the first flight of the F-47, the company have been chosen but the priority for the DOD is keeping the F-47 on track , after the first flight I think that the FA/XX will go full throttle. I think the prototype of FA/XX is flying in the black waiting the F-47 official first flight.
 

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