The Trump administration is, once again, going all in on the development of the Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter while seeking only a fraction of its funding for the Navy’s future combat jet.
The record-breaking $1.5 trillion 2027 defense spending request, released Friday, includes around $5 billion to develop the F-47, all from baseline discretionary funding. Just $140 million—$72 million of which is from a proposed reconciliation bill—is requested for the Navy’s own next-generation fighter, dubbed F/A-XX.
“The Administration is sending a clear message to the nation’s adversaries by aggressively moving forward with the F-47 sixth-generation fighter: that the U.S. military will secure command of the skies, deter aggression, and project power anywhere on the globe,” the budget documents read. “The 2027 request continues to prioritize the rapid development and production of the F-47, and would achieve a first flight in 2028.”
Last year, Congress initially committed only a fraction of the funding that would be needed to substantially advance the development of the F/A-XX. The service reportedly came close to choosing Boeing or Northrop Grumman to make the future aircraft, but no announcement was made.
But lawmakers’ support for the program soared in January, when House and Senate appropriators boosted F/A-XX funding more than tenfold, from $74 million to $897 million. Along with $750 million from the reconciliation bill, the Navy’s fighter saw nearly $1.7 billion in total enacted funding, according to the documents.
As part of the restored funding for F/A-XX, lawmakers wanted the details of the service’s acquisition strategy, spending plan, and timeline for awarding the manufacturing and development contract, fielding the aircraft, and reaching initial operating capacity. They also want an explanation of what prevented the Navy from spending F/A-XX funds allocated in previous years.
By comparison, the F-47 received $2.5 billion in the 2026 budget request and $900 million in reconciliation funding. In total, the Boeing-built fighter netted $3.5 billion last year, the documents said.
The budget request will also spend more on F-35s for the Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. In total, the White House is asking for 85 of the fifth-generation jets, with 32 funded by the discretionary budget and 53 by the proposed reconciliation bill, an Office of Management and Budget spokesperson confirmed to Defense One. Of the total, 38 would go to the Air Force, 37 to the Navy, and 10 to the Marine Corps.
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