AFA 2024: US Air Force examining operations with more Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Anduril's CCA concept, the Fury. The USAF intends to purchase at least 1,000 CCAs, likely more. (Anduril)

The US Air Force (USAF) is considering conducting operations with a greater number of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) than previously disclosed, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told reporters on 16 September at the Air & Space Forces Association's (AFA's) Air, Space, and Cyber conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

Kendall had announced in March 2023 that the USAF would purchase 1,000 CCAs – two for operation by each of 300 F-35s and 200 planned Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighters. The service is now planning to operate more CCAs per crewed fighter.

“I initially started out with a range of three to five [CCAs per crewed aircraft],” said Kendall. “We're talking about bigger numbers than that now. We're moving towards greater reliance on uncrewed aircraft working with crewed platforms to achieve air superiority and to do other missions. I don't see us going away from that combination anytime soon.”

The initial increment of CCAs is to be dedicated to air-to-air warfare, passing sensor data to crewed aircraft for target selection, then firing its own air-to-air missiles while the crewed fighter remains far from potential threats. Kendall said that he expects CCAs to perform strike missions as well, although it is unclear whether the first increment will be capable of employing air-to-ground weaponry.

Critical communications

Despite likely operating closer to threats than their crewed counterparts, CCAs are not likely to operate thousands of miles in front, or controlled by operators on the other side of the world as USAF MQ-9 Reapers often are.