The most important point hammered home by representatives was that we cannot afford any more delays if we want to retain an advantage in air power. The Chinese are beginning to deploy stealth fighters and carriers in numbers and are on the verge of carrier-borne stealth fighters.

A lack of effective carrier air power also creates a situation where a fleet is unable to effectively project power due to a limited ability to conduct offensive strikes. The Soviet Navy lacked effective carriers and was thus relegated to being primarily a defensive navy.

To delay the program for 3y would be a cancellation, and would harm the struggling defense industrial base. One concern may be that it will not be ready for the Davidson Window in 2027, but this assumes that 2027 is a sure thing, and that it will be the only conflict with China.

The CNO, on the other hand, was extremely vocal about the importance of the Navy's next jet, calling it the "key to the future of the air wing." This is correct. F/A-XX is a long range platform, capable of fighting deep within hostile airspace.

Inquiries about F/A-XX were frequent, and in practice, a major focus of this hearing. In short, the SecNav spent most of his time avoiding questions about the status of F/A-XX, like in this clip below.