Pentagon's Hegseth okays US Navy next-generation fighter, sources say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After months of delay, the Pentagon will select as soon as this week the defense company to design and build the Navy's next stealth fighter, a U.S. official and two people familiar with the decision said, it will be a multibillion-dollar effort for a jet seen as central to U.S. efforts to counter China.

Boeing Co (BA.N), opens new tab and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N), opens new tab are competing to be chosen to produce the aircraft, dubbed the F/A-XX. The new carrier-based jet will replace the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet, which has been in service since the 1990s.

The decision to move ahead with a selection was made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday, the U.S. official and one of the people said.

The U.S. Navy could announce winner of the competition to build its fighter as soon as this week, one of the people said. But last-minute snags have delayed progress on the Navy jet in the past and could do so again, sources said.

The Navy and the Pentagon did not respond to several requests for comment.

Holdups on F/A-XX highlight broader questions about the future of naval aviation and the role of aircraft carriers in confronting China. Delaying the program or starving it of funds could leave the Navy without a modern fighter capable of operating from carriers in the 2030s and beyond, potentially undermining the fleet's ability to project power.