U.S. Air Force Begins Production of First Collaborative Combat Aircraft

The United States Air Force has awarded production contracts to General Atomics and Anduril for its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), designating them FQ‑42A and FQ‑44A. The contracts move the program from prototype to low‑rate production ahead of the original schedule, with the service aiming to acquire more than 150 combat‑capable CCAs by the end of the decade and ultimately field up to 1,000 units.

The Air Force plans a down‑select from a pool of more than 20 vendors for CCA Increment 2, with a final competitive production decision for Increment 1 expected in fiscal year 2026. The FY 2027 budget requests $1.1 billion for CCA production and $1.4 billion for research and development, targeting an initial fielding of 100‑150 aircraft by 2029. Earlier cost estimates projected a unit price of $25‑30 million, with later goals to reduce the price toward $5‑10 million per system.

In parallel, the service has launched a separate competition for mission‑autonomy software, selecting six firms—including Anduril, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Collins Aerospace and Shield AI—to develop open‑architecture autonomy under the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture. A primary autonomy supplier is expected to be chosen by mid‑2027.