Why an Air Force buy of the Navy's F/A-XX is unlikely

Could a lack of NGAD funding force the US Air Force to buy the Navy's F/A-XX instead?

Probably not; Congress is likely to fund an Air Force program, although its eventual aircraft and mission could change considerably.

A forced US Air Force purchase of the Navy's F/A-XX is considered unlikely. An advanced fighter is politically attractive enough that Congress is expected to find funding for an Air Force program. Its eventual shape is much less certain because capabilities and air-superiority priorities are changing. An aircraft as large as a B-21 is raised as one possibility, without becoming a firm forecast of the design.