Pentagon awards Boeing $20B fighter jet contract and Amentum $572M space defense deal

The Pentagon has awarded Boeing a $20 billion contract to develop the next generation of fighter jets for the U.S. Navy. Under the ‘Next Generation Air Dominance’ program, Boeing will produce the F/A-XX carrier-based fighter, which is intended to replace the current Super Hornet fleet starting in the next decade.

Boeing secured the contract over competitor Northrop Grumman. Following the announcement, Boeing shares rose by 2.4% in after-hours trading, while Northrop Grumman shares fell by 3.6%. Technical and regulatory details regarding the F/A-XX program remain classified under U.S. national security laws.

In a separate defense development, the Pentagon has granted Amentum Technologies a $572.3 million contract to develop a system for space attack detection and missile warning. The Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment and Space Support program will be executed at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, with a projected completion date of September 27, 2033.