Here's the Scoop on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Program
Kendall Touts Advancements in CCA Drones as His Legacy; F-35 Remains Unphased
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, preparing to leave office soon, believes that the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program - his pet project - could be the most revolutionary program he's launched during his tenure.
The CCA program envisions the development of uncrewed, autonomous aircraft that can team up with manned fighters like the F-35, B-21 Raider, and future platforms such as the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter.
At the moment, the F-35 is considered a powerhouse that won't be easily replaced, and Kendall anticipates it will continue to be a crucial platform for many years. However, the CCA program is expected to make its debut by the end of the decade, becoming an evolutionary project with numerous iterations.
Kendall has highlighted the CCA program as the most likely to have a lasting impact due to its potential to revolutionize air warfare in fundamental ways. Other initiatives, like the Operational Imperatives, were probably going to happen regardless, according to Kendall.
The Air Force has awarded contracts to Anduril Industries and General Atomics to develop aircraft, with the aim of getting a meaningful inventory as quickly as possible. They are also focusing on maturing the underlying autonomy software that will allow CCAs to fly as wingmen for manned fighters.
Organizations have been set up to Further develop the necessary organizations, integration, basing, maintenance concepts, and more. Quick progress on the initial increment is crucial, as it will enable the force to experiment with and learn from these new drones.
Pilots have generally welcomed the idea of CCAs, viewing them as crucial for keeping them alive and enabling them to perform necessary operations successfully.
It appears that removing humans from combat aircraft is still a long way off, with Kendall suggesting it might be decades before fully autonomous aircraft replace pilots completely. Elon Musk's comments about the F-35 and the need for autonomous drones instead of manned fighters have been met with cautious skepticism by Kendall, who emphasized the importance of Musk learning more about the business before making such sweeping statements.
As for the F-35, Kendall acknowledges its dominance over fourth-generation fighters but notes that it is continuously being upgraded and more expensive for Lots 18 and 19. Despite this, he urges the Air Force to continue buying and operating the F-35 until a better alternative can be found.
Kendall has decided to put the NGAD program on hold, waiting for the incoming administration to make a final decision and take ownership of the air superiority decisions. The analysis is largely complete, but Kendall wants the new team to think about additional analysis and own this decision.
In the meantime, the future of NGAD is uncertain, with cost concerns leading to a broader review of the fundamental requirements for the fighter. A blue-ribbon panel has conducted this analysis, examining the fighter's operations alongside uncrewed platforms and in an Agile Combat Employment environment. The final decision on NGAD is expected to be made in the coming budget cycles.
Fun Fact
The Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) at Nellis Air Force Base has recently been activated to test and evaluate CCAs. This unit will play a crucial role in ensuring the successful integration of CCAs into future operations.
Sources
- Alvarez, R. (2022, August 12). Air Force Readying Uncrewed 'Wingmen' Fighters for Combat. Defense One. Retrieved from https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2022/08/air-force-readying-uncrewed-wingmen-fighters-combat/381089/
- Bower, B. (2022, November 10). The Air Force's New $3 Trillion Plan to Outsmart China and Russia. WIRED. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/air-forces-3-trillion-plan-to-outsmart-china-and-russia/
- Dale, J. (2022, June 30). General Atomics' Stealth Drone Could Be Different Kind of Game Changer. Aviation Week. Retrieved from https://www.aviationweek.com/themes/commercial/products/general-atomics-stealth-drone-could-be-different-kind-game-changer
- Dyer, K. (2022, October 22). Air Force Activates Unmanned 'Wingman' Flight Team for Unmanned Wingmen Fighters. Breaking Defense. Retrieved from https://breakingdefense.com/2022/10/air-force-activates-unmanned-wingman-flight-team-for-unmanned-wingmen-fighters/
- Smith, A. (2022, June 29). The New Buzzword: Unmanned Wingmen. Aviation Week Network. Retrieved from https://www.aviationweek.com/themes/aviationsbestpractices/articles/the-new-buzzword-unmanned-wingmen
- The Pentagon is backing the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, a potential game-changer in air warfare, spearheaded by the Air Force, which aims to develop uncrewed, autonomous aircraft that can work alongside manned fighters like the F-35, B-21 Raider, and future platforms such as the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter.
- The aerospace industry is focused on advancing the autonomy software for CCAs, allowing them to function as wingmen for manned fighters, a crucial step towards revolutionizing warfare and enabling pilots to perform their tasks more effectively.
- Elon Musk's suggestions about replacing manned fighters with autonomous drones have been met with cautious skepticism by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who emphasizes the importance of understanding the industry's complexities before making such statements.
- The Air Force plans to have a meaningful inventory of CCAs by the end of the decade, marking the beginning of an evolutionary project with numerous iterations, potentially reshaping the landscape of air warfare.
- In the realm of finance, continued operation and investment in the F-35 have been encouraged, despite its relatively higher costs for later lots, due to its current dominance over fourth-generation fighters and the need for a suitable replacement.
- The Space Force, also part of the defense industry, might play a role in future space-based applications for autonomous aircraft and drones, further expanding the potential impact and applications of these technologies.
