Introduction to the DD Newsletter
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Northrop Grumman’s F/A-XX Conceptual Rendering
Northrop Grumman has published a conceptual rendering for its submission for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter. The company tells DD that this is the current official artwork associated with its F/A-XX concept. The program has long been even more secretive than the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance jet, with official artwork from potential vendors being extremely limited. In the meantime, the future of the Navy program is being increasingly questioned, with the service and Pentagon officials apparently at loggerheads about how best to proceed with it.
Analysis of the Conceptual Rendering
The conceptual rendering in question appears on the Northrop Grumman website, under its Naval Aviation section. It shows the nose, a cockpit, and the forward fuselage of a supposed F/A-XX jet awaiting catapult launch from the deck of a Navy carrier. The heavy shadowing, perspective, and cropping of the airframe mean that it’s far from easy to get a handle on the overall planform of the aircraft.
However, it’s clearly optimized for stealth, with a prominent chine that blends the wing into the fuselage. The flowing, almost organic nature of the design, with constantly changing radiused surfaces, is also indicative of next-generation stealth. The nose would appear to be quite broad, which would provide a large aperture for a radar.
Design Features and Similarities
The large bubble canopy seems to be indicative of a single pilot and provides good visibility. The idea that this aircraft would be a single seat design is of interest as some have assumed a two-crew concept would be better for the highly complex, extended range missions it is intended to take on. The canopy features a brace, similar to that on the F-35.
The fuselage has plenty of ventral depth to it, with a large, rounded belly that suggests considerable internal volume for fuel and weapons. The aircraft features heavy-duty landing gear, of the kind required for the rigors of deck launched and landings, with twin wheels on the nose gear.
Perhaps most intriguing is the presence of the top-mounted intake, located on the left-hand side ‘shoulder’ position. The intake has a slightly curved but broadly rectangular profile, with a vertical shelf on its outboard side. It extends from the fuselage spine out almost as far as the wing root.
Comparison to Other Aircraft
The concept appears directly reminiscent of Northrop’s YF-23, the company’s entrant into the Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter competition, in which it lost out to Lockheed’s YF-22. The YF-23 featured a characteristic trapezoidal wing and massive, widely splayed tailerons.
Future of the F/A-XX Program
For some time now, the future of the F/A-XX program has been under scrutiny, with growing signs that it was at best in limbo. Boeing notably pushed back on that assertion back in June.
More recently, however, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a draft defense spending bill that would reverse the Pentagon’s plan to freeze the F/A-XX program.
The version of the 2026 Fiscal Year Defense Appropriations Bill that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved last month includes $1.4 billion for F/A-XX.
Almost certainly, there will be more twists and turns in the F/A-XX program as the Pentagon and the Navy align their priorities. Behind the scenes, the designs from the competing companies are likely also undergoing refinements, perhaps also significant changes.