The US Air Force has cleared its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft to enter production, awarding contracts to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Anduril Industries.
The contracts are for the production of the FQ-42A and FQ-44A, previously designated as prototypes. The Air Force plans to commit to a large CCA fleet, with a goal of buying over 150 combat-capable CCA by the end of the decade.
The Air Force has also opened a competition for the software that will operate the CCA, with six companies competing for the contract. Anduril, RTX Collins Aerospace, and Shield AI will begin work on autonomous software immediately, with the goal of naming a single primary software provider by summer 2027.
