The Air Force’s aircraft fleet includes fighters, bombers, tankers, and other aircraft that have been flying for decades. However, the planned collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs) are not expected to last even a single generation before needing replacement or overhaul. Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin emphasized the importance of regularly replacing CCAs to keep missions simple, costs down, and field them in significant numbers.
Allvin expressed the need to avoid complex, multi-mission CCAs as it would drive up costs, limiting the number of aircraft the Air Force could procure. Technology advancements are anticipated to render a class of CCAs outdated after a decade, requiring replacement or upgrades with new technologies.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall envisions a CCA fleet of about 1,000 drones to fly alongside the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter. Missions for CCAs may include strike operations, intelligence gathering, electronic warfare, and serving as decoys. Affordability is a key requirement for the CCA program, with each drone costing a fraction of an F-35’s price tag.
In April, Anduril and General Atomics were chosen to further develop their CCA concepts and build production-representative test aircraft. Allvin cited financial pressures the Air Force faces, including inflation and limited budgets, questioning the future composition of an effective Air Force and its dependence on external resources.
The timeline for producing the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter remains uncertain, with Allvin indicating that decisions will unfold in the next few years.
