Northrop Grumman has shared a rough rendering of its submission for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX fighter programme after years of silence on the programme’s state.
The rendering of the F/A-XX design shared by Northrop Grumman should not be taken as something finalised, but the motto gives some hints on what is to be emphasised.
The motto “Project Power Anywhere” hints at significantly more combat radius, as this is the case for F-47 when compared to legacy fighters of the USAF.
In terms of design, some notes from Northrop Grumman’s YF-23 prototype that competed against YF-22 can be felt, and it would be no surprise if the firm is drawing from the abandoned prototype that was considered somewhat too much for its time. The prototype was stated to have better stealth and cruise performance, but at the cost of agility. Now that agility is gradually falling from the position of priorities, while combat radius and payload capacity are getting more focus, Northrop Grumman might blend the lessons from YF-23 with today's technology for F/A-XX.
F/A-XX aims to replace the F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet carrier-based fighters in the U.S. Navy service with a next-generation aircraft with stealth capabilities, more operational radius, and likely more internal payload capacity compared to F-35C.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
