I have done a lot of research on the A/F-X and found the below article previously. For some background as we await this aircraft from Julhelm I wanted to show how close (or not) the Navy actually was to choosing A/F-X.
With the Clinton Administration's Bottom Up Review pending, Secretary of Defense Les Aspin stated courtesy of Defense Daily, April 2, 1993; "What we have in the Navy tactical air programs is a jumble of competing planes and competing philosophies," Aspin told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "One or more will be out."
From the same article :
"Of the Pentagon's four major tactical aircraft programs, two are Navy aircraft. The A/FX, which is in the concept stage and the F/A-18E/F, which is in the development phase. The Navy is basically married to these two aircraft, but a major Pentagon weapons review may force the service to pick one aircraft over the other or face having the decision made for it."
As history showed, the Super Bug was the compromise and safer choice of the Navy. Imagine what the fleet would look like with the A/F-X in its carrier wings. Would certainly have been a mighty fine sight.