USAFE commander expects new drones to ‘change quite a few things’ for Air Force readiness
Next-generation drones known as collaborative combat aircraft are expected to have major operational impacts on the Air Force — but the commander of U.S. air forces in Europe and Africa also anticipates significant changes for maintenance and training as the systems are integrated into the service.
CCAs are a top modernization priority for the Air Force, which is spending billions of dollars on the technology and hopes to begin fielding the platforms in the next few years. The AI-enabled autonomous jets could perform a variety of missions, including air-to-air combat, strike, electronic warfare, or intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Earlier this year, Anduril and General Atomics were selected for the development-for-production phase of increment one, and the two companies are now gearing up to conduct flight tests of their respective air vehicles. Other drone makers are also expected to have an opportunity to compete for the program down the road.