Air Force wants almost $1B to buy first CCA drones in 2027 | DefenseScoop
AI Analysis
The U.S. Air Force is seeking nearly $1 billion in fiscal 2027 to procure its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones as part of the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative. General Atomics and Anduril are key contractors involved in developing CCA prototypes, with production decisions expected by summer 2026.
Key Takeaways
- The Air Force's FY27 budget request includes $996.5 million for CCA drones.
- The CCA program is part of the broader NGAD family of systems.
- General Atomics and Anduril are developing CCA prototypes YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A.
- The Air Force plans to field over 100 CCA drones by 2029.
- The CCA drones are designed to operate alongside manned aircraft for intelligence and strike missions.
Why It Matters
The procurement of CCA drones marks a significant step in modernizing the U.S. Air Force's capabilities, offering a cost-effective solution to augment manned aircraft. This initiative reflects a strategic shift towards integrating autonomous systems into military operations, enhancing operational flexibility and effectiveness.
Air Force wants almost $1B to buy first CCA drones in 2027 | DefenseScoop
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The Air Force is asking for nearly $1 billion in fiscal 2027 to initiate procurement of the first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, according to newly published budget documents.
The Trump administration released a record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget proposal Friday, comprising $1.15 trillion of discretionary funds for FY27 and $350 billion from a future reconciliation bill. The request would allocate $30.6 billion in total for Air Force aircraft procurement, which for the first time includes the CCA program.
While available documents did not detail how many CCA drones the Air Force wants to buy, the request signals the high-profile program is ready to transition into formal procurement and production. The service is currently slated to make a final production decision for Increment 1 of the CCA program this summer.
If approved by lawmakers, all of the $996.5 million would come from the Air Force’s base budget request for FY27.
The service formally began development work on the CCA program in 2023 as part of its broader Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems. The drones are expected to fly alongside the Air Force’s manned fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft and conduct a range of missions, including intelligence gathering and offensive strike.
The procurement request is for the first batch of CCA drones known as Increment 1. General Atomics and Anduril received contracts from the Air Force in 2024 to continue development and conduct flight tests of their CCA prototypes — the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, respectively. Other vendors are allowed to compete for the final production contract, albeit using their internal funding.
Since the program’s inception, Air Force leadership have touted the CCA concept as a critical part of their modernization plans. Not only are the semi-autonomous fighter jets designed to augment the service’s fleet, they will do so at a significantly lower cost than manned aircraft, according to officials.
Former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendal initially estimated the service could field over 100 Increment 1 CCA drones by 2029 at a price tag of around $30 million per platform — roughly one-third the cost of an F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.
However, officials have recently indicated that the Air Force is rethinking those plans.
During the annual McAleese Defense Programs Conference in March, Gen. Dale White, the service’s director of critical major weapon systems, said the program’s production goals will be finalized before the end of fall 2026. That plan could include a decision to increase production beyond Kend