Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Coverage of Collaborative Combat Aircraft in the Nexus archive.
- F-47 program producing test aircraft, on schedule for 2028 flight
The U.S. Air Force’s F-47 program has entered the engineering and manufacturing development phase, with a first flight scheduled for 2028. The program aims to replace the F-22 Raptor fleet and includes test aircraft production and integration of advanced technologies. President Donald Trump announced the sixth-generation F-47’s development under the NGAD program in March 2025.
- Collaborative Combat Aircraft need to be more than a flying weapons magazine
The article highlights that Collaborative Combat Aircraft must transcend being mere weapon carriers, emphasizing the importance of capabilities, cost, and autonomy in the development of effective unmanned aircraft.
- Trust between operators, CCAs starts with simulations: Former Air Force secretary
The U.S. Air Force is integrating semiautonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) through simulations and training exercises to build trust with human operators, as emphasized by former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. Recent live-fire tests with Anduril's YFQ-44A and planned trials with General Atomics' YFQ-42A highlight progress, with simulations like Red Flag exercises playing a critical role in demonstrating the technology's effectiveness.
- The autonomous CCA wingmen of 2030 may look nothing like today’s assumptions
The autonomous CCA wingmen of 2030 may differ significantly from current assumptions as services test teaming with Collaborative Combat Aircraft, prompting the industry to address challenging questions.
- US Air Force awards first CCA production contracts to General Atomics, Anduril
The U.S. Air Force awarded production contracts for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Anduril Industries, marking their transition from prototypes to production. Six companies, including Anduril, General Atomics, and others, will compete to develop autonomous software for the CCA, with three selected to begin work immediately. The Air Force aims to field over 150 combat-capable CCA by the end of the decade.