Marines starting early work on sixth-gen fighter jet concepts
Its early, but a top Marine general said he would expect a next-gen fighter to "look something like" the Navy's F/A-XX.
Senate passes $839B defense spending bill, kicking new agreement back to the House
Pentagon funding expires at midnight, but a Thursday evening deal between the White House and Senate Democrats should allow the department to avoid a prolonged government shutdown.
Modernizing defense enterprise IT without disrupting the mission
Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.
CNO Caudle: Navy must launch F/A-XX program now to penetrate Iranian airspace in 10 years
“F/A-XX is so vital [because] our ability to fly with impunity with our existing airframes is fleeting,” Adm. Daryl Caudle warned.
FY26 defense bill boosts budget by $8B, largely bypassing last-minute $28B munitions request
Appropriators threw a lifeline to the Navy’s F/A-XX fighter and Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail programs while slamming the door on the Army’s agile acquisition request.
Compromise NDAA protects Wedgetail, greenlights Black Hawk multiyear buys
Among other provisions in the FY26 NDAA, congressional authorizers would direct the defense secretary to explore possibilities for recapitalizing the military services’ executive airlift fleets.
Compromise NDAA released with bigger topline, $8 billion above Pentagon’s request
The $8B jump is essentially a compromise from the House version, which stuck to the Pentagon’s budget request, and the Senate numbers, which were $32 billion above the department’s request.
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Navy’s Caudle: F/A-XX fighter decision needs to come ‘quickly’
"My job is to pressurize that decision, because the war fighting imperative, I think, is there, and and I'm trying to build a compelling case to get that decision made quickly," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said.
Upgrade carrier air wings with F/A-XX or lose to China
If the US is to stand a chance against China, the time is now to move out on the Navy's future next-gen fighter, explains Rebecca Grant of the Lexington Institute.
Navy may select next-gen fighter design as soon as this week: Sources
The competition between Boeing and Northrop Grumman is the most highly anticipated contract outside the service's shipbuilding portfolio.
White House nominee for Joint Chiefs’ vice chair backs Pentagon budgeting reforms
Marine Corps Gen. Christopher Mahoney also weighed in, carefully, on whether the Navy needs a next-gen fighter jet.
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Can Congress pass a FY26 defense budget this year? Here are 12 key issues for lawmakers.
As Congress returns from August recess, Breaking Defense examined how each defense committee is looking at a dozen major programs, from Golden Dome to F/A-XX to the cancellation of the E-7 Wedgetail.
Senate appropriators tack on $22 billion to defense spending bill for $853 billion topline
The legislation, passed through committee today, also fixed what one lawmaker said were billions of dollars worth of accounting errors in the Pentagon’s budget proposal.
The Break Out: What’s going on with the Navy’s next-gen fighter? [Video]
Plus, some exciting news from Breaking Defense!
Funding F/A-XX could ‘delay’ F-47, White House warns Congress
The White House made official what many in defense circles have been whispering: That the administration is prioritizing the Air Force’s next jet over the Navy’s future capability.