Lockheed Martin Exits U.S. Navy’s Sixth-Gen Fighter Program

Lockheed Martin has withdrawn from the F/A-XX program, a project to develop a sixth-generation deck-based fighter for the US Navy to replace the F/A-18 Hornet.

Breaking Defense has reported this, citing its own sources familiar with the program.

Lockheed Martin applied for the program, but its project did not meet the established criteria. After that, the company decided to stop participating in the program.

As of today, two companies—Northrop Grumman and Boeing—are bidding for the multibillion-dollar contract from the U.S. Navy.

For Northrop, this is the first deck-based fighter project since the F-14 Tomcat, while for Boeing, the victory could be key to the future of its military division based in St. Louis, which has received significant investment.

At the same time, Lockheed Martin remains a participant in the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, which is developing a new generation fighter for the U.S. Air Force.

Its main competitor in NGAD, Northrop Grumman, on the other hand, withdrew from the program in 2023, deciding to focus on the F/A-XX and the development of the B-21 Raider strategic bomber.

In December 2023, the United States Congress renewed the allocation of $1 billion for the F/A-XX program.

F/A-XX

The F/A-XX program is a U.S. Navy initiative to develop a sixth-generation fighter aircraft to replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and complement the F-35C starting in the 2030s.

The program has the same official name as a similar initiative of the Air Force, but they are fundamentally different.

The need for such an aircraft was first identified in June 2008.

The aircraft must be able to operate in the face of enemy air defense and perform various missions, including aerial refueling, reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, and electronic warfare.

The fleet is considering both manned and unmanned or optionally manned versions to ensure the platform’s high adaptability.