Authored by Tom Gantert via The Epoch Times,
Boeing has secured a contract worth more than $20 billion to develop the U.S. Navy's next-generation carrier-based fighter.
The Boeing Co. logo is displayed outside of company offices near Los Angeles International Airport in El Segundo, Calif., on Jan. 18, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Navy contract covers full-scale development of the sixth-generation F/A-XX Strike Fighter, including testing units for ground, airworthiness, systems and weapons.
The aircraft is expected to supplement and eventually replace the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers in the 2030s, the Department of War said in its Tuesday announcement. It will operate alongside the F-35C.
Sixth-generation fighter technology would make aircraft harder to detect, with improved stealth capabilities, while being equipped with artificial intelligence-assisted sensors, hypersonic weapons, and directed-energy weapons such as lasers.
F/A-18E/F Super Hornets are used for air combat and attacks on ground targets, while EA-18G Growlers are jets used to jam enemy radar and communications.
"The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength," Michael P. Duffey, under secretary of war for acquisition and sustainment, said in the announcement.
"F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter."
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