Posted on 12/14/2023 7:27:08 PM PST by Macho MAGA Man
The United States Navy's F/A-XX fighter is expected to receive almost full funding, NavalNews.com reported on Monday. It comes as a compromise in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to fund a special access program (SAP) believed to be for the next-generation stealth fighter.
Earlier this year, the House Armed Service Committee had cut $1.1 billion from the Link Plumeria line, citing "unjustified requirements." The U.S. Navy had requested $2.1 billion for Link Plumeria in its budget request for FY2024. However, the current version of the bill cut just $50 million from Project 2937, which is reported to be for the F/A-XX program inside Link Plumeria.
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What We Know About the F/A-XX
The F/A-XX is a development and acquisition program for a future sixth-generation air superiority fighter to replace the United States Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and complement the F-35C beginning in the 2030s. A requirement to fund the program was first identified in June 2008.
The F/A-XX is further reported to be the manned fighter aircraft for the U.S. Navy's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program – not to be confused with a similar NGAD program underway with the United States Air Force to replace the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
However, the two efforts are seeking to develop a system of systems that will include manned fighters, unmanned drones that can act as "loyal wingmen" and other technologies, including a combat cloud.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalinterest.org ...
Reminds me slightly of one of the ASTOVL designs from the 90’s.
It reminds me of the Boeing F32.
Or the NASA space shuttle.
Who is going to pilot it? Skynet?
looks like it has variable canards?
And, of course, what the final price will be per unit...
” the drones won’t require constant directions from the manned aircraft – they’ll follow orders, of course, but still show initiative.”
Of course!
Don’t know if it is true, but if it pulls greater than 10 g’s during a turn, then not even g suit can prevent the pilot from blacking out....wonder what turning radius and speed the fighter will achieve...or will it be an airborne joystick controller for the faster, more maneuverable drones? Maybe carry small JDAM like nukes? Like 10 kiloton?
Not a fan of National Interest. I remember a recent article indicating the F-22 was going to be retired in the 2030s, but the USAF received $11b to modernize and extend service life into the 2050s. 2 years ago, the outlet headlined that news, and are back to contradicting it again.
They have to replace the F-22 already? What happened?
We still have all the old Fs as mainstays. Love ‘em. Love F-16. But can’t believe the newer things haven’t “taken off”?
Replace is the wrong word.
We didn’t make enough, and Obama had the machinery that made them destroyed.
So we cannot enhance our F-22 fleet with the same airframe.
And we need to, like yesterday.
The exhaust will be a rainbow.
Let’s hope that Boeing does a whole lot better job building the thing than Lockheed has in just about anything they have done since Kelly Johnson died and the stream of bidenites joined the company in a succession of drones. Maybe someone in the US can show we still have people who can do something right besides Space X.
>P>
The 18 is a McDonnel-Douglas airplane so wouldn’t this be one of the first Boeing airplanes for the Navy since the FB series?
Get rid of Naval Air.
Bring back the Thud.
Only if you are counting carrier aircraft. Boeing makes the P-8 Poseidon for the Navy, replacing the P-3 Orion.
But given Boeing's track record with military aircraft - their Air Force Tanker program KC-46 has been a disaster with cost overruns and years behind schedule, and a refueling system that doesn't work in many lighting conditions - I wouldn't hold very high expectations from them.
I don’t count converted airliners. Only part of the KC-46 is Boeing’s doing but yes, they have failed bigly on that one. Especially for an airplane and system that has already been in service for others for quite some time. Again, I’m waiting for someone to do something right.
So we cannot enhance our F-22 fleet with the same airframe.
There was a cost study done a few years back concerning the costs and feasibility of restarting F-22 production. In the report, it was stated that 95% of the tooling was still ready to use (though mothballed) and the remaining 5% was in need of repair or refurbishment. The bigger issue is production facilities now occupied with other projects. Cost estimates were high, though nowhere near the likely costs of a new, even more complex design.
The way things are going, we would be well-advised to offer the Raptor as an export to select allies and have them chip in on the non-recurring startup costs. Australia and Japan have both expressed interest (but I'm sure the Chinese have all the congressional support they need to prevent such a project coming to life).
The F-22 was too good and too expensive so they threw away the tooling to make them.
stealth wi canards? i thought they wrecked a RCS...
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