F/A-XX: The Navy’s Final Piloted Fighter with Unmatched Range

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Navy's upcoming sixth-generation fighter It might be their final manned fighter, according to the director of the service's air warfare division on Tuesday.

Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly stated at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space conference that the F/A-XX will incorporate advanced features like artificial intelligence and machine learning. These enhancements aim to boost situational awareness and assist naval aviators in making better-informed decisions during missions.

These technological advances have the potential to usher the Navy into a new epoch where manned and unmanned aircraft work more seamlessly alongside each other. This includes initiatives like the Navy’s proposed AI-driven drone wingmen referred to as collaborative combat aircraft, along with potentially bigger, uncrewed systems that may be introduced later on.

Donnelly stated that this might be our final tactical manned fighter operated by the Navy. It will mark a shift toward having personnel more supervisory rather than directly controlling operations, serving as a transition to the hybrid air wing—which combines both crewed and uncrewed systems—in the 2040s.

Donnelly stated that the F/A-XX will enable the Navy to function effectively in hostile areas and exceed its current fighter jets when confronting opponents.

Donnelly stated, 'We implement this today, but we maintain parity due to the capabilities we've deployed so far.' He added, 'Thus, F/A-XX will represent the subsequent enhancement.'

Navy authorities did not disclose when they plan to announce the F/A-XX program; however, such news might emerge shortly. In line with this, the Air Force’s equivalent of the Navy's F/A-XX—the Boeing-developed F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance fighter—was unveiled by President Donald Trump during an Oval Office ceremony on March 21st. According to reports by Breaking Defense earlier last month, Lockheed Martin has been excluded from contention for the F/A-XX contract, which leaves both Boeing and Northrop Grumman as the principal contenders.

During the Sea Air Space exhibition, Donnelly informed journalists that the F/A-XX is anticipated to have a range exceeding 25% of what the Navy’s present fighter jets can achieve without needing aerial refueling.

The F/A-18 Super Hornet boasts a combat radius of approximately 1,275 nautical miles, whereas the carrier-based F-35C Joint Strike Fighter can travel over 1,200 nautical miles.

"That’s an essential characteristic of the F/A-XX,” Donnelly informed journalists. “It will undoubtedly possess greater built-in range, and when coupled with aerial refueling, one might consider its operational scope to be limitless, provided that refueling resources remain accessible.”