Boeing shares jumped 2% on Wednesday after the company won a major US Navy fighter jet contract. The stock move came after the Pentagon selected Boeing for the Navy’s next-generation fighter program.
The Pentagon chose Boeing over Northrop Grumman to develop the US Navy’s next-generation fighter jet. The decision gives Boeing a major new military aircraft program. The contract is worth more than $20 billion for the full-scale development phase of the Navy’s sixth-generation F/A-XX Strike Fighter, according to the Pentagon.
Boeing gets $20 billion Navy contract
The F/A-XX is the US Navy’s next-generation fighter program. Boeing will now be responsible for developing the aircraft as the program moves into its full-scale development phase. The Navy contract adds to Boeing’s growing role in next-generation US fighter jets.
Boeing also has F-47 contract
The company already won the US Air Force’s competition to develop its next-generation fighter in 2025. The Air Force awarded Boeing the F-47 fighter jet contract in March 2025. The F-47 is the Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter and is being developed by Boeing.
Boeing now has contracts for next-generation fighter programs for both the US Navy and the US Air Force. This expands the company’s position in advanced military aircraft.
Why Boeing won the contract
The Navy award was not completely unexpected, according to BNP Paribas aerospace and defense analyst Matthew Akers. He said the consensus view was that Boeing was the favorite in the competition, even though the company had already won the Air Force’s F-47 fighter competition in 2025.
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The two fighter programs could strengthen Boeing’s advanced military aircraft business. The awards give the company a larger role in developing the next generation of US military aircraft.
What it means for BA stock
The contracts also strengthen Boeing’s operations in St. Louis. Boeing is investing in new manufacturing capacity there to support the F-47 program.
Boeing’s new St. Louis facility is designed to support multiple next-generation aircraft programs. This means the facility is being built to handle more than just the F-47 fighter program. For Boeing, the more than $20 billion Navy contract adds another major defense program alongside the F-47. That helps explain the positive reaction in BA shares on Wednesday.
The immediate market reaction was positive: Boeing shares rose about 2% on Wednesday following news of the Navy fighter award. The key takeaway for BA stock is that Boeing has secured a second major sixth-generation fighter program. The Navy contract adds to the company’s existing F-47 work for the Air Force and expands its role in advanced US military aircraft.