The US Navy eliminated Lockheed Martin from its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) programme, restricting the sixth-generation fighter race to Boeing and Northrop Grumman.
Breaking Defense states that the US Navy rejected Lockheed Martin's offer as it fell short of the designated programme criteria. There are currently two candidates for the NGAD competition: Boeing and Northrop Grumman.
In spite of this setback, Lockheed Martin is still heavily engaged in creating a sixth-generation fighter aircraft for the US Air Force under its own NGAD project. Still very important in the defence industry, the business most famously serves as the F-35 Lightning II prime contractor.
The F/A-XX is a new-generation stealth combat aircraft meant to attain air supremacy in future warfare situations. It is produced under the US Navy's NGAD programme. The aircraft is expected to have advanced range, endurance, stealth, and smooth integration with several combat systems.
Designed to replace the outdated F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet, the F/A-XX is meant to run alongside the F-35 in naval aviation duties. While the US Air Force has temporarily stopped its own sixth-generation fighter program, Navy officials remain hopeful about contract award for NGAD this year.
Specific details on the NGAD program's total cost and schedule are unknown. Public disclosure of more technical specifications, operational ideas, and possible NGAD platform capabilities is pending, underscoring the great degree of secrecy and the project's strategic relevance.
