Boeing's defense division secured a $20 billion contract from the U.S. Navy for full-scale development of its sixth-generation strike fighter, the F/A-XX. Boeing shares rose 3 percent in premarket trading and gained more than 2 percent in after-hours trading to $191.81.
The selection makes Boeing the exclusive U.S. supplier of sixth-generation fighters. The Navy award follows Boeing's March 2025 win to develop and produce the Air Force's F-47 fighter. Together, the two contracts eliminate the production risk that threatened to end Boeing's fighter manufacturing entirely in early 2025.
The F/A-XX contract includes multiple test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems and weapons integration testing, with flights beginning in the 2030s.
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey said the F/A-XX is designed to dominate contested airspace and deliver combat advantage. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao called the sixth-generation fighter "a generational leap in air superiority."
Boeing defense chief Steve Parker said the company is ready to execute the program backed by decades of innovation and investments in new facilities.
Northrop Grumman, the other finalist for the F/A-XX contract, offered a digitally advanced sixth-generation fighter. Lockheed Martin, excluded from the sixth-generation competition, will continue producing the fifth-generation F-35.
The F/A-XX program faced delays after White House concerns in July 2025 that proceeding with the Navy fighter could jeopardize the F-47's success. The award resolves that impasse and secures Boeing's position in next-generation combat aircraft for decades.
