ProgramVerified
Collaborative Combat Aircraft
USAF's next-generation autonomous fighter drones flying alongside manned aircraft.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) is the USAF's program to field autonomous, semi-expendable drone fighters that team with manned aircraft. Increment 1 production contracts were awarded to Anduril (YFQ-44A Fury) and General Atomics (YFQ-42A Dark Merlin) in June 2026 for the first 150 aircraft, with a live-fire AIM-120 AMRAAM test validating autonomous weapon-employment sequencing in July 2026.
Program detail
- Agency
- US Air Force
- Acronym
- CCA
- Budget
- ~$8.9B estimated for Increment 1 development + procurement (Defence Insight estimate, unofficial)
- Phase
- Increment 1 — production contracts awarded Jun 2026 for first 150 aircraft; Increment 2 (~2,350 more) airframe downselect from 9 to <=6 vendors underway (Jul 2026); Increment 2 propulsion contracts already awarded: small-class (1,400-1,600 lb thrust) to Beehive Industries, Honeywell, and a GE Aerospace/Kratos team (Feb 2026), medium-class (5,000-6,000 lb thrust) to GE Aerospace and Rolls-Royce (Jun 2026)
- Domain
- Autonomous combat aircraft / manned-unmanned teaming
Participants4
- CompanyAnduril IndustriesAutonomy-first defense products company building hardware and the Lattice software platform.
- CompanyGeneral Atomics Aeronautical SystemsUS unmanned-aircraft prime (subsidiary of General Atomics), builder of the MQ-9 Reaper family; co-selected with Anduril to build the USAF's first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the YFQ-42A Dark Merlin.
- CompanyRTXAmerican aerospace and defense conglomerate (formerly Raytheon Technologies).
- CompanyKratos Defense & Security SolutionsDrones, missile systems, directed energy, and command & control technology for defense customers.
Frequently asked
- What is Collaborative Combat Aircraft?
- Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) is the USAF's program to field autonomous, semi-expendable drone fighters that team with manned aircraft. Increment 1 production contracts were awarded to Anduril (YFQ-44A Fury) and General Atomics (YFQ-42A Dark Merlin) in June 2026 for the first 150 aircraft, with a live-fire AIM-120 AMRAAM test validating autonomous weapon-employment sequencing in July 2026.
- Which agency runs Collaborative Combat Aircraft?
- Collaborative Combat Aircraft is run by US Air Force and is also known as CCA.
- What is the budget for Collaborative Combat Aircraft?
- Collaborative Combat Aircraft has a budget of ~$8.9B estimated for Increment 1 development + procurement (Defence Insight estimate, unofficial), currently in its Increment 1 — production contracts awarded Jun 2026 for first 150 aircraft; Increment 2 (~2,350 more) airframe downselect from 9 to <=6 vendors underway (Jul 2026); Increment 2 propulsion contracts already awarded: small-class (1,400-1,600 lb thrust) to Beehive Industries, Honeywell, and a GE Aerospace/Kratos team (Feb 2026), medium-class (5,000-6,000 lb thrust) to GE Aerospace and Rolls-Royce (Jun 2026) phase.
Sources & citations5
5 sources behind every claim
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