Even as China continues to upgrade its naval aviation abilities and ambitions, the US intends to maintain its dominance as the US Navy is expected to award a contract for its next-generation, carrier-based fighter soon.
The Navy is set to decide between Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman for awarding the contract for the sixth-generation fighters, as Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said the three companies have proposals for that, and the Navy is in source selection right now.
The move comes even as China is developing its second fifth-generation fighter jet J-35, which will be deployed on its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian. The US intends to deploy the sixth generation aircraft by 2030, effectively making China a generation behind in its Navy's fighter capabilities.
The sixth-generation fighter jets are expected to operate alongside drones and fly missions at long ranges, giving the US Navy a much-required edge over China in a potential future war in the Pacific. “We expect that sixth-generation platform to be able to have advanced sensors, advanced lethality, advanced range, and being able to integrate with manned and unmanned capabilities together,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti was quoted as saying.
The sixth-generation fighter jets, currently being referred to as F/A-XX, is expected to replace Boeing's E/A-18 Growler electronic warfare attack aircraft and F/A-18 Super Hornet multi-role fighters.
The programme, part of the US Navy's broader Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) strategy, was first identified in June 2008. The F/A-XX is designed to perform a wide variety of missions, ground attack, surface warfare, air combat, and provide close air support, and aims to operate effectively in anti-access/area denial environments.