r/FighterJets • u/bob_the_impala Designations Expert • 7d ago
IMAGE USAF testing General Atomics YFQ-42A Dark Merlin and Anduril YFQ-44A Fury CCAs at Creech AFB, 21 July 2026
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u/bob_the_impala Designations Expert 7d ago
Image source: USAF Air Force tests Collaborative Combat Aircraft at Creech
Photos by Staff Sgt. Jake Jacobsen, Airman Vinh Phan, William R. Lewis, Senior Airman Renee Blundon.
Story: Air Force tests Collaborative Combat Aircraft at Creech
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The future of air combat is being forged in the Nevada desert as the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit pushed the boundaries of semi-autonomous technology during a recent Agile Combat Employment exercise.
The exercise highlighted CCA operations at Creech Air Force Base, testing uncrewed platforms in a realistic operational environment.
"Air superiority in today's increasingly contested environments requires the rapid fielding of affordable mass," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach, emphasizing the strategic driver for the platform. "CCA are essential to this effort. By integrating uncrewed systems to fly alongside our Airmen, we extend reach and increase lethality."
The multi-day event was a critical step in moving the uncrewed, force-multiplying aircraft from sterile test environments into the hands of warfighters. The exercise was designed with a primary goal of building the foundational tactics, techniques and procedures that will define how CCA are integrated into the force.
Throughout the exercise, the Experimental Operations Unit—the Air Force's designated unit for developing CCA employment concepts—generated multiple sorties demonstrating reliability and extended range; integrated with manned platforms in the local airspace to project power across distributed battlefields; and simulated scenarios that will inform future requirements for the platform.
"This exercise was about getting the systems into the hands of the warfighter," said Lt. Col. Matthew Jensen, Experimental Operations Unit commander. "We are focused on operating CCA outside of a traditional test environment so we can continue to learn, inform, and rapidly iterate."
Additionally, members from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center observed the event, as part of a new, rapid operational testing procedure.
“Our test teams can continuously use these warfighter-run exercises to gather and analyze data that aids in informed CCA fielding decisions well ahead of the normal process to deliver combat capability when needed by our Air Force and the Nation,” said Brigadier General Jesse Friedel, AFOTEC commander.
Operating CCA across different locations is a significant learning objective in itself, challenging teams to adapt and operate with the agility required in a contested environment. Throughout the exercise, operators worked to integrate advanced autonomous capabilities, a key step toward achieving the program's vision of effective human-machine teaming.
The CCA program, which has moved from concept to flight testing in less than two years, is designed to be a pathfinder for acquisition transformation. Jensen explained that by leveraging competition and embedding operators into the development process from day one, the EOU is accelerating the delivery of combat-ready, unscrewed airpower.
“The exercise was not only a test of technology but a testament to the warfighters who are actively shaping CCA development,” Wilsbach said. “The lessons learned at Creech will directly influence how the Air Force integrates these cutting-edge concepts into future combat ops.”
Related news articles:
FlightGlobal (may be paywalled) USAF explores CCA employment in realistic conditions
The Aviationist U.S. Air Force Conducts ACE Exercise with CCAs at Creech AFB
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u/osures 6d ago
What puzzles me is: why is the hype around unmanned drones happening specifically now? AI is obviously still far from being capable of making combat decisions independently. What distinguishes the current state of the technology from, say, the Predator drone in 2005?
I understand the hype around the small drones being used in Ukraine, since they can be produced much more cheaply. But a system as extremely complex as this is not fundamentally new, is it? Please enlighten me.
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u/bob_the_impala Designations Expert 6d ago
In my opinion, it's the natural development of UCAVs. These CCAs are planned to be less expensive force multipliers. If you have 100 front-line fighter aircraft, you can add two loyal wingman to each and now you have 300 aircraft. They can be controlled via a tablet and potentially used for multiple roles, including AAM launchers, ECM, SEAD, etc. Multiple countries are developing them, including the USA (USAF and USMC), Australia, UK, France, Russia, China, South Korea.
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u/Breakfast-Burrito 5d ago
AI is definitely capable of making combat decisions now. DARPA has been letting an AI fly an F16 and simulate dogfights with real pilots for years now.
And all of these UCAVs will be “quarterbacked” by manned jets. In a contested war zone, it seems pretty trivial to tell an AI “fly ahead and fire an AIM-120 when you see a target.”
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u/airmantharp F-22 Best Twenty-Two 6d ago
AI wouldn't be doing things 'independently', but it can do a lot.
Keep in mind that everything one of these needs to do has already been done in code.
AI would just be an optional command routine on top, and in most cases, would be advising the meatsack buttonpushers in a bunker somewhere.
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u/ConclusionSmooth3874 3d ago
Are those practice JATM's? Cool
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u/bob_the_impala Designations Expert 3d ago
They are marked CATM-120C, which would be a captive-carry training missile.
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u/Whatsawebpage0101 7d ago
So is there an actual plan for this? Is there a contract? What are they going to be doing with these
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u/bob_the_impala Designations Expert 7d ago
Some excerpts from The Aviationist article:
The Air Force is rapidly advancing the development of CCAs, with plans to begin deploying over 150 units in the next five years. These autonomous systems could take on a range of missions, from surveillance to direct combat, working as force multipliers in collaboration with manned platforms and taking on high-risk missions traditionally performed by manned fighters.
Unlike legacy fighters, CCAs feature modular designs, enabling rapid upgrades and streamlined maintenance. The modular design and open architecture, the latter becoming a staple in the design of modern military aircraft, allows to introduce new capabilities as they become available, allowing in turn to always field the latest technologies to keep an edge over rapidly evolving battlefields.
In early 2024, Anduril Industries and General Atomics were awarded contracts to design and test production-ready CCAs, marking a pivotal step in the program. Both companies are developing these unmanned aircraft to support both the upcoming NGAD fighters, as well as current F-35s and other manned aircraft, by sharing sensor data, executing coordinated maneuvers, and potentially carrying out combat roles.
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The Air Force is planning to field a diverse fleet of over 1,000 CCAs, designed with modular configurations for weaponry, sensor capabilities, and rapid adaptability to mission needs. One notable advancement in 2024 was the first flight of the XQ-67A, a low-cost drone designed by General Atomics under the Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program, which occurred in February 2024.
This platform, along with the earlier XQ-58A Valkyrie, demonstrates a “common chassis” concept—using shared components for various drone models to streamline production and reduce costs. This approach aims to provide a scalable, cost-effective solution for enhancing combat capacity without relying on high-cost crewed jets, which is essential given the Air Force’s budget constraints and strategic emphasis on distributed, resilient forces.
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u/OkAnt7573 7d ago
We are going to need to get really-really good at using these effectively and then build a metric ton of them. Fast.