Navy nominee wants futuristic fighter despite White House doubts

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.

• A July 15 memo from the administration called for a reevaluation of the Navy's future fighter, as the "contract as written is likely to delay the higher-priority F-47 program."

Yes, but: Industry disagrees. Hard.

Zoom out: Caudle, a career submariner, was nominated in June. He currently serves as the head of Fleet Forces Command.

Go deeper: What's influencing the Air Force's F-47 and Navy's F/A-XX