Senate rejects Pentagon’s F/A-XX freeze, approves $1.4B for US Navy 6th-generation fighter jet
August 1, 2025
A new Senate Appropriations Committee draft defence spending bill includes $1.4 billion to continue developing the Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter and $647 million to preserve the E-7 Wedgetail programme.
If adopted, the measure would reverse the Pentagon’s earlier decision to freeze F/A-XX funding in favour of prioritising the Air Force’s F-47 project.
Senate draft bill restores F/A-XX funding
The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved its fiscal 2026 Defense Appropriations Bills, including $1.4 billion for the Navy’s F/A-XX program and $647 million for the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft, which the Pentagon had slated for cancellation.
The funding would allow the Navy to resume F/A-XX development. After losing funding in the Pentagon’s initial request, the Navy placed the fighter at the top of its Unfunded Priority List (UPL)—a wishlist submitted to Congress to highlight high-priority, unfunded needs.
The bill includes $70.8 billion for Navy procurement and $27.4 billion for the Navy’s R&D. Most of the increase in funding is $8.7 billion in extra ship-building funds. Intriguingly, the bill also includes an “increase of nearly $650 million to continue development of a classified program.”
The debate over two 6th-generation fighter jets
A key issue in the debate is whether the US aerospace industry has the capacity to develop two next-generation fighter jets in parallel. The White House and others argue that both programs would compete for the same limited pool of engineers and resources.
But Boeing and the Navy have pushed back, insisting that the industrial base is large and capable enough to handle both programmes without compromising either.
6th-generation fighter jets will be some of the most advanced and complicated machines ever made. Due to their cost and technological demands, most nations are pursuing them through international partnerships.
For example, Japan, the UK, and Italy are collaborating to develop the GCAP/Tempest, while France, Germany and Spain are developing a rival platform under FCAS.
Only China and the United States have the funding, industrial base, and strategic imperative to potentially develop such jets independently. Even so, there are concerns in Washington about whether America can simultaneously deliver two sixth-gen fighters without one cannibalising the other.
Why the Navy so badly wants the F/A-XX
With a growing focus on deterring China, the US Navy argues that its carriers will need to operate from greater distances to stay outside the reach of advanced missile threats. But its current air wing—dominated by F/A-18 Super Hornets—lacks the range for this new reality.
While the F-35C offers greater reach and stealth, it still falls short. The Navy is working on drop tanks and refuelling options, but sees these as only partial fixes.
The F/A-XX, designed for long-range, highly networked operations in contested airspace, would replace the Super Hornet and complement the F-35C. For the Navy, it’s not just about upgrading fighters; it’s about ensuring that its carriers remain viable platforms for power projection in a more hostile operating environment.
