Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)

General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc. plans to draw on its Collaborative Combat Aircraft experience to develop the autonomous capabilities for its new Wildfire proposal.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Collaborative combat aircraft are set to become major military aircraft production items.

AI-enabled systems routinely fly mock dogfights between fighters within visual range of each other. The next step is to unlock air combat beyond visual range.

Saab and GKN have secured additional research and technology contracts in support of Sweden’s future combat aircraft pathway.

After losing dozens of Reapers in Iran, the Air Force aims for its next medium-altitude surveillance aircraft to be simpler and cheaper.

Listen in as editors discuss Saab’s collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) concept, Europe’s evolving uncrewed combat aircraft strategy and the U.S. Navy’s ambitious carrier-based CCA plans.

The U.S. Navy is looking to bring on surrogate collaborative combat aircraft to learn how to operate the uncrewed systems as it starts to develop its own.

Initial requirements released by the Navy favor a large, fighter-size aircraft for autonomous combat roles.

Navy seeks carrier-capable CCAs with large payloads, autonomous operations and rapid development for future carrier air wings.

Editors talk Tailhook, covering the Navy's surprise unveiling of Malice, a new long-range air-to-air missile, future carrier deck operations, the use of uncrewed aircraft, hypersonic weapons and more.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Saab is challenging the low-cost, attritable model adopted by Sweden’s allies with a supersonic, survivable complement to Gripen.

Saab unveils A3, a high-end autonomous combat aircraft concept to complement Gripen, aiming for deep-strike missions and unmanned capabilities.

AeroDynamic Advisory expects production of small propulsion military engines to double in the next three years and exceed 8,000 per year by 2028.

Frank Kendall, U.S. Air Force secretary during the Biden administration, is not the first person you would expect to go all-in on autonomous weapons.

The U.S. Air Force has tested a prototype system that allows ground operators to control Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) from a ruggedized laptop.

The UK’s June 2026 Defense Investment Plan (DIP) switched the country’s defense modernization into 6th gear, with £298 billion ($402 billion) in funding to be made available through 2029.

Defense technology startup Lyntris is aiming to go public in a listing that could generate $107 million.

Rheinmetall plans to establish a systems integration facility for the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft in Germany as part of a push to convince Berlin to adopt the system.

Editors discuss the Pentagon’s modernization priorities, including the Air Force’s collaborative combat aircraft program, Air Force One modification issues and the Navy’s efforts to advance a more modular missile defense architecture.

A newly-launched project expands the U.S. military’s months-old search for a low-cost, counter-air missile.

The Royal Australian Air Force is aiming to integrate the Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft into the next Exercise Pitch Black in 2028

Rolls-Royce is developing a scalable engine concept for Germany’s collaborative combat aircraft while expanding autonomous propulsion.

GKN Aerospace supplied composite flight structures for BAE’s Brontanax CCA ahead of planned 2027 flight testing.