USAF Kicks Off Drone Production

The U.S. Air Force is accelerating its vision for human-machine teaming with the awarding of production contracts for its first fleet of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). General Atomics and Anduril Industries have secured deals to build the FQ-42 and FQ-44 models, respectively, moving the program into full-scale manufacturing.

These semi-autonomous drones are designed to fly alongside crewed fighter jets, significantly extending their reach, situational awareness, and survivability in contested environments. The Air Force plans to field approximately 1,000 combat-capable CCAs, utilizing continuous competition among vendors to manage costs and scale capacity. The contracts were awarded ahead of schedule, indicating the aircraft meet mission requirements and are ready for production.

In a novel procurement approach, the Air Force is implementing a "software sold separately" strategy, decoupling the mission autonomy software from the airframe. Production contracts for this crucial software have been awarded to six vendors, including Anduril, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Collins Aerospace, and Shield AI. This initiative aims to field highly credible, combat-ready autonomous systems swiftly.