Boeing Wins Big with New Stealth Fighter Contract

The U.S. Navy has selected Boeing to develop its new-generation stealth fighter, the F/A-XX, to replace the aging F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Boeing beat out Northrop Grumman Corp. for the $20 billion development contract, which includes producing prototypes and potentially hundreds of billions in future sales as international customers place orders.

The program is a major victory for Boeing, coming on the heels of its selection to develop the F-47 stealth fighter for the U.S. Air Force last year.

Boeing's decades-long history of developing carrier-based fighters for the Navy helped dispel concerns about the company's ability to provide enough engineers and suppliers for the new program.

The Pentagon's chief weapons buyer, Michael Duffy, called the F/A-XX 'America's most important, non-negotiable investment in national security and long-term air combat capabilities.'