The Navy has awarded contracts to develop Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones to major defense contractors Anduril, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Boeing and Northrop Grumman.
The CCAs are uncrewed systems that would be launched from carriers to augment the Navy’s power to deliver airstrikes in a maritime setting, and also complement manned fighter aircraft launched from carriers. Development appears to be in its early stages.
Details about the contract awards were disclosed in a slide originating from Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO U&W). It was first reported by Breaking Defense.
A Navy spokesperson confirmed to Military Times the information in the slide is accurate.
“We’re partnering with the U.S. Navy to develop conceptual designs for their future collaborative combat aircraft and are bringing our deep experience in naval aviation and advanced autonomy,” Northrop Grumman said in a statement to Military Times.
“We continue investing in the development of autonomous platforms and technology. From a software and integration perspective we created Beacon, an autonomy ecosystem for partners to test and refine their solutions. From a platform perspective, we have seen impressive results from our investments in reducing production time, processes and cost of these systems.”
“The U.S. Navy has selected Anduril to develop designs for carrier-ready Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA),” the company said in the post. “We are focused on delivering an aircraft built specifically to the Navy’s distinct needs, at rapid speed and formidable scale.”
The Navy described the CCAs as “force multipliers” and are intended to complement fighter aircraft in action. The slide also noted that use of the drones will minimize risks to personnel.
“The Navy has been pretty vocal about integrating uncrewed jets of different types and closely following the Air Force’s CCA efforts. It’s a smart move that buys down significant risk and leverages the substantial work and investments already underway,” C. Mark Brinkley, a General Atomics spokesman, told Military Times.
Brinkley added that General Atomics rolled out notional designs for future carrier-capable CCAs last year, which builds off the YFQ-42A CCA created for the Air Force and adapts it for shipboard operations.
“General Atomics developed the EMALS system used on Ford-class carriers and has extensive experience working with the U.S. Navy and international partners on carrier-based unmanned aircraft operations, so it’s not a stretch for us,” Brinkley said.
While no specific details have been released regarding how the drones would be used operationally, it is likely that they would serve in the “loyal wingman” role. In July, the Air Force conducted a groundbreaking test in which fighter pilots wielded unmanned aerial vehicles as “loyal wingmen,” maneuvering them while performing combat exercises.
The drones, per the slide, are also intended to be cost-effective and versatile in design, so as to be adaptable, multipurpose and able to be used in a variety of different types of operations.
The contracts are part of a larger push by the Pentagon to invest in and develop unmanned systems. On July 10, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released a memorandum calling for increased drone production for the military and rapid integration of unmanned systems into all service branches.
“Drone dominance is a process race as much as a technological race. Modern battlefield innovation demands a new procurement strategy that fuses manufacturers with our frontline troops,” Hegseth said in the memo.
The Navy has been focusing on drones as part of a service-wide modernization effort and to address its struggles with shipbuilding. Private industry is working to boost that effort.
Earlier this year, HavocAI announced the development of a 38-foot unmanned vessel called the Seahound, while Saronic Technologies acquired Gulf Craft, a Louisiana-based shipbuilder, to build a shipyard of autonomous vessels.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.
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