No program has garnered as much attention in the U.S. Air Force over the past year as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative.
Envisioned by military leaders, CCAs represent a new concept in aerial warfare, where loyal wingman drones will operate alongside fighter jets, serving as a force multiplier and forming the backbone of America’s airpower strategy for the future. Given the complexity of such a program, numerous questions arise regarding the application of these systems, the readiness of the technology, and which companies will be tasked with their production.
To delve into the details of what CCAs entail and how they are expected to function, Breaking Defense organized a panel discussion featuring reporters Michael Marrow and Valerie Insinna, along with Stacie Pettyjohn from the Center for a New American Security. This discussion aims to provide essential insights into the CCA initiative.
The first of four videos from this discussion, titled “Everything You Need to Know About CCA But Were Afraid to Ask,” is now available. This video captures the fundamental aspects of what a CCA is and highlights the industry players poised to manufacture these advanced systems.
In the upcoming weeks, we will release additional videos that will focus on various facets of the CCA program, including its operational use, international efforts to establish similar loyal wingman programs among allies and potential adversaries, and the cutting-edge technology that will enable these aircraft to fly.
