People familiar with the matter said that this week, the U.S. Navy will announce who it plans to build its next generation carrier-based stealth aircraft. The program is worth hundreds of millions of dollars over its lifespan and plays a crucial role in its plan to face China.

The F/A-XX is one of the advanced capabilities that the U.S. Military is developing to counter China’s increasing assertiveness in Indo-Pacific. The contract is worth a few billion dollars over the next decade, but could be worth hundreds of millions.

The Navy will select one winner to proceed with the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase. This is a major milestone for the F/A-XX which is intended to replace the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Fleet.

The new jet will feature improved stealth capabilities, increased range and endurance and be able to integrate with uncrewed combat planes and the Navy's carriers-based air defence systems.

The U.S. Navy has not responded to a comment request. John Phelan was confirmed as the new Secretary of Navy on Monday.

Boeing Co, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corp have all submitted detailed proposals and prototypes to be evaluated. Boeing, which has been hit by a recent strike, engineering layoffs and problems with the Starliner capsule, as well as the troubled KC-46 program, received a boost when it was awarded the Air Force F-47 contract. The MQ-25 unmanned refueling aircraft is also produced by the company.

If the company is able to make large purchases of raw materials, and can share technology across the two aircraft, then taking on two fighter programs could offer significant economies of scale.

Northrop Grumman is known for its innovative aircraft such as the B-2 and B-21 Stealth Bombers.

Lockheed Martin, initially a contender, struggled to meet Navy requirements. These included the need for an advanced radar system, and better carrier landing capabilities. Lockheed Martin was reported to have been eliminated from competition on March 4, but the Navy did not make a formal announcement.

F/A-18s will remain in service until 2040. Reporting by Mike Stone, Washington Gerard Doyle edited the article.

(source: Reuters)