Pentagon 'All In' on Air Force's F-47 Fighter

Citing concerns that federal defense contractors can't handle the strain of simultaneous production lines, the Trump administration reportedly will shelve the Navy's F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter jet in favor of the Air Force's counterpart, the F-47.

The Navy project, which has been shrouded in secrecy, has been in limbo for months.

Reuters reported in March that an F/A-XX contract announcement was imminent after news that Boeing had won the F-47 contract, but it never happened.

Pentagon officials told reporters that the budget blueprint for fiscal year 2026 contains a $74 million request to complete the design of the Navy stealth aircraft. They also reportedly said the future of the carrier-based fighter jet is being debated at the highest levels.

"We did make a strategic decision to go all-in on F-47, with a $3.4 billion request for that program, due to our belief that the industrial base can only handle going fast on one program at this time and the presidential priority [is] to go all-in on that F-47 and get that program right," one official said, according to Axios.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman reportedly are being considered for the F/A-XX contract. Lockheed Martin, which was initially seen as a strong contender, was eliminated from the competition because the company struggled to meet the Navy's requirements, including an updated radar system and improved carrier landing capabilities, Reuters reported.

Boeing executives pushed back on the government's narrative that the company and its partners can't handle both projects at the same time.

"From day one, capital investment was for both programs," Steve Parker, the CEO of Boeing's defense business, told reporters at the Paris Air Show. "We've done the same with our technology. We've done the same with our staffing.

"Absolutely, we can do it. And so can the industrial base. And so can the engine manufacturers. I don't really see that as being an issue."

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