:

Navy Wants F/A-XX But DoD Still Looking To Balance Industrial Base With F-47

Monday, December 15th, 2025

SHARE:

Navy Wants F/A-XX But DoD Still Looking To Balance Industrial Base With F-47

The first operational Block III F/A-18E/F Super Hornet flying at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, Mo. before arriving at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. in 2021 (Photo: Boeing).

The top Navy officer recently confirmed the service still wants the F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter, but is cognizant of cost effectiveness and balancing it with overall industrial base concerns. When asked point blank if he thinks the Navy should still buy a next-generation fighter during a Reagan National Defense Forum panel on Dec. 6, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Daryl Caudle responded “Of course, I do. On what planet would a Navy chief not think I need the highest end…

HASC Bill Funds Second Destroyer, Adds Several Multi-Ship Procurements, Puts Limits On Battleship

The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) chairman’s mark of the fiscal year 2027 defense authorization act, released May 26, largely approved the Navy’s shipbuilding request, but it added funds to […]

Congress

HASC’s FY ‘27 NDAA Adds More Black Hawks, Chinooks For Army, No Plus-Up For Apaches

The House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) draft of the next defense policy bill supports hundreds of millions dollars for the Army to buy additional Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters in […]

Congress

HASC’s $1.15 Trillion FY ‘27 Draft NDAA Doesn’t Shift Items Over From Reconciliation Request

The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) on Tuesday unveiled its $1.15 trillion draft of the next defense policy bill, aligning with the White House’s requested discretionary topline while not including […]

Budget

DoD’s Equity Stake In L3Harris Rocket Motor Business Comes At Expense Of Other Suppliers, HASC Warns

A draft defense bill released by the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) on Tuesday says the committee is “concerned” with the Defense Department’s $1 billion equity investment this year in […]