
Navy nominee wants futuristic fighter despite White House doubts
Why it matters: Trump's fiscal 2026 budget blueprint iced such a warplane, the F/A-XX, in favor of the Air Force counterpart, the F-47.
This looks like a split between the White House and a top nominee, Adm. Daryl Caudle, over a multibillion-dollar endeavor.
What they're saying: "Nothing in the joint force projects combat power from the sea as a carrier strike group, which at the heart has a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN)," Caudle told Congress in written testimony last week.
"To maintain this striking power, the CVN must have an air wing that is comprised of the most advanced strike fighters."
Catch up quick: F/A-XX has been in the works for years, most recently pitting Boeing and Northrop Grumman against each other for the lucrative contract.
The secretive aircraft is said to be stealthy and capable of interfacing with robo-wingmen.
It's meant to succeed the Super Hornet, recently deployed against Houthi harassment in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Without a proper replacement, Caudle told lawmakers, the Navy will have to lean on existing technologies in an "attempt to compete with the new 6th generation aircraft that the threat is already flying."
Friction point: The White House is adamant U.S. industry can't handle F/A-XX and F-47 (also led by Boeing) simultaneously.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Wall Street Journal
3 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler to Resign
Federal Reserve Gov. Adriana Kugler plans to resign from her post Aug. 8, she wrote Friday in a letter to President Trump. Kugler's term as a governor was set to expire early next year. The vacant board seat opens a slot for Trump to nominate an eventual successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell to join the Fed's board, should he choose an external candidate to succeed Powell. That person could then be nominated to succeed Powell as Fed chair after Powell's chair term expires in May.


The Hill
4 minutes ago
- The Hill
Putin blames frustration in peace talks on ‘inflated expectations'
Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Friday said peace talks with Ukraine have been stalled due to 'inflated expectations' as leaders continue to urge the Kremlin to shift course. 'All disappointments come from inflated expectations,' Putin told reporters on Friday, according to The New York Times. 'In order to solve the issue in a peaceful way, we need deep conversations, not in public, but in the silence of a negotiating process,' he added. One of the most vocal critics of Russia's repeated airstrikes has been President Trump, who promised to end the conflict in Ukraine within 24 hours if elected to the presidency. As his administration surpasses its six-month mark, negotiators have been unable to make headway as a past temporary ceasefire agreement fell through. After Trump issued a a 50-day timeline for Russia to agree to a peace deal in mid-July, he shrunk the deadline on Monday and said he wanted to see progress in 10 to 12 days. Trump is threatening to impose strict tariffs on the Kremlin and their trading partners, including India and China, if headway isn't made. 'I gave him to a lesser number, because I think I already know the answer what's going to happen,' Trump said on Monday while standing beside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. But Russia's leaders have brushed aside the president's ultimatum. 'Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences,' Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, wrote in a mid-July post on the social platform X. 'Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care,' added Medvedev, who also previously served as president and prime minister of Russia. In a Monday post on X, Medvedev continued the battle. 'Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10…' he wrote. 'He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war,' Medvedev wrote. 'Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don't go down the Sleepy Joe road!' Trump hit back on Friday urging the leader to ' watch his words.' 'I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!' the president added.


The Hill
4 minutes ago
- The Hill
85 percent of parents worry about tariffs affecting back-to-school cost: Survey
Tariff concerns are affecting parents as they begin back-to-school shopping early to avoid the higher costs they believe are coming for school supplies, according to a Wednesday survey from U.S. News. Sixty percent of parents already began back-to-school shopping as 62 percent expect to pay more this year than last year, according to the survey. Eighty-five percent of parents said they were concerned about rising prices due to tariffs when thinking about back-to-school shopping. The survey found that 57 percent of Americans are cutting back on back-to-school shopping due to concerns of rising prices, with the top categories targeted for drawbacks including clothes and shoes, accessories and technology. Thirteen percent of parents expect to pay more than $500 per child in back-to-school costs this year, almost double the amount that felt the same in 2024. Concerns about how tariffs will affect prices come as President Trump aims to implemen t new tariffs on Aug. 7, which has caused markets to fall around the world. While the president has discussed frameworks for deals with some countries, others such as Canada face a 35 percent tariff. The president delayed a similar tariff on Mexico. 'The complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems, and assets, of the Border,' Trump posted Thursday on Truth Social. 'We have agreed to extend, for a 90 Day period, the exact same Deal as we had for the last short period of time.'