USAF concept put to the test in think tank’s wargame against China’s robot wingmen

The U.S. Air Force is working on developing a future family of drones, testing a mix of unmanned and manned aircraft in a fight with China. During a July 2023 wargame by the Mitchell Institute, the teams used a mix of collaborative combat aircraft, or CCAs, to “disrupt and stimulate” China’s integrated air defense system. The Mitchell Institute is sponsored by defense companies and is an affiliate of the Air & Space Forces Association.
The report echoes the Air Force’s own argument for CCAs as its fighter force shrinks. The Air Force is relying on CCAs to provide “affordable mass” since the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) manned fighter aircraft won’t be ready until the 2030s and will likely have a hefty price tag. The Mitchell wargame featured ten types of CCAs, ranging from expendable, $2 million drones to highly capable, $40 million “non-attritable” ones.
The biggest takeaway was the importance of affordability, and the teams gravitated towards lower-cost CCAs across the board. The Air Force is looking to buy these drones in the thousands and has confirmed contracts with five companies to design and build a fleet of at least a thousand CCAs.
The Air Force’s plans for the drone wingmen will likely be released next week at the annual AFA Warfare Symposium in Colorado.