In a bid to gain traction ahead of the US Navy’s upcoming fighter competition, Northrop Grumman released a slick video showcasing what its entry would look like should it get the nod to build the US Navy’s sixth generation fighter. Featuring robust landing gear, a blended body design and other cutting edge features emblematic of a futuristic aircraft, the North Grumman version would likely boast top mounted engine intakes, a wide fuselage so it could carry weapons internally and a tailless design to reduce its radar signature. The Navy is due to make its decision later in 2026 as it chooses between the Northrop Grumman version and a similarly designed aircraft offered by Boeing. Whoever wins the competition would almost certainly earn the right to enter full scale production right from the get go, so that aircraft, in appreciable quantities, would join the fleet as early as 2035.

The accompanying video does an excellent job of providing more detailed information on the Northrop Grumman entrant, and discusses what the next-generation aircraft will mean to the US Navy’s efforts to maintain control and keep open all the world’s waterways. Many already believe that the Northrop design will win the competition, because Boeing has already been picked to build the US Air Force’s F-47 NGAD fighter. Typically, the DoD doesn’t like to place all of its eggs in one basket by going with one manufacturer for two all-important programs, should anything go wrong to delay the release of one or both aircraft.

From a diecast standpoint, none of the major model makers has made a serious attempt at replicating the upcoming F/A-XX, largely because no one knows who will win the upcoming competition nor do they have available — with absolute certainty — an exacting version of either of the contestants so they can prepare accordingly. Whichever aircraft wins the competition, you can bet that there will be several scale models to choose from, all in an effort to attract collectors, military historians and enthusiasts to our growing hobby.