Anduril and General Atomics win contracts to build drones that fly alongside fighter jets
The service will buy the first 150 drones under a separate autonomy competition that will choose a software provider in 2027.
- On Wednesday, the Air Force awarded production contracts to General Atomics and Anduril for Increment 1 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, enabling the service to field at least 150 systems by the end of the decade, according to Col. Timothy Helfrich, program acquisition executive for fighters and advanced aircraft.
- Helfrich stated the service re-solicited the original five vendors—including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman—before selecting the two winners through competitive evaluation. The contracts arrive four months ahead of schedule.
- While focusing on Increment 1 production, the service is separately managing a second increment of the CCA program with nine vendors, maintaining a modular strategy designed to allow rapid, continuous software upgrades.
- Requesting $996.5 million in fiscal 2027, the Air Force aims to keep per-unit costs under $30 million—roughly one-third the price of a Lot 17 F-35A, Helfrich noted.
- Three vendors—Anduril, Shield AI, and RTX subsidiary Collins Aerospace—were selected to compete for the mission autonomy software contract, with the Air Force planning to downselect to one provider by summer 2027.
39 Articles
39 Articles
US firms to begin production of autonomous jets to boost aerial power
The U.S. Air Force has awarded production contract for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The engineering and manufacturing development and production contracts have been awarded to General Atomics, FQ-42, and Anduril, FQ-44 for CCA Increment 1. Building upon decades of responsible, semi-autonomous flight development, CCA represent the next critical evolution of airpower. CCA are designed to seamlessly integrate with crewed fighters to e…
The robot wingmen the US hopes can outlast China's missiles
Facing a shrinking fighter force and a surging Chinese air arm, the US Air Force is betting that robotic wingmen — not more manned jets — will decide who controls the skies over the western Pacific. This month, multiple media outlets reported that the US Air Force awarded engineering, manufacturing and development, and production contracts […] The post The robot wingmen the US hopes can outlast China’s missiles appeared first on Asia Times.
US Air Force orders uncrewed fighter into production
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has won a production contract from the United States Air Force for the FQ-42A, a purpose-built uncrewed fighter designed to fly alongside crewed combat aircraft, the company has said. The initial order marks a significant step, beginning the delivery of production aircraft after a development effort the company says was run on an accelerated schedule unlike any fighter in recent history, with manufacturing al…
USAF Awards Production Contracts for Semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Plans Fleet of 1,000
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The US Air Force has awarded production contracts to General Atomics and Anduril for its first-generation Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme and selected six companies to develop mission autonomy software as part of plans to field around 1,000 semi-autonomous aircraft capable of operating alongside crewed fighter jets. World News | USAF Awards Production Contracts for Semi-autonomo…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 72% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
