Northrop Grumman's F/A-XX Next Generation Naval Fighter Design

The F-111 and F-35 were both joint programs to some degree, meaning the decisions were forced to include views of different services and of overarching defense leadership. Just like the Navy (presumably) had no say in the F-47 design or requirements, it is unlikely that the opposite happened either. However it is totally possible for DOD leadership to meddle in Navy decisions. The acquisition system is structured so that for the largest programs the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (obviously a joint position) validates the design requirements and a senior leader (often the Deputy Secretary of Defense) is the final approval authority for granting a development or production contract. The Deputy Secretary could consider things like industrial base health that might tip the scales towards one company if the competing designs are essentially tied on the merits. But like another commenter said, the Navy would raise hell if they were forced to go with a subpar design for political or economic reasons. Plus, the losing company would have some ammo for a contract protest.