Hegseth Stands Firm With Opposition to Next-Gen Navy Fighter Jet

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated his opposition to Navy plans to develop its next-generation F/A-XX fighter jet, arguing it will overlap with plans for a different aircraft that has President Donald Trump’s blessing.

In a previously undisclosed letter to lawmakers on Nov. 18, Hegseth said he remains concerned about the defense industry’s ability to develop two so-called sixth-generation jets at at the same time. Killing the Navy’s F/A-XX would be a blow to either Northrop Grumman Corp. or Boeing Co., which are competing to build the plane.

The Pentagon “strongly supports its original fiscal 2026 request reevaluating the ...