USAF awards Concept Refinement contracts to nine firms for Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 2—attritable to exquisite designs flanking F-35s, advancing post-Anduril/GA Increment 1 flights toward multi-vendor prototypes.
Broad spectrum spans low-cost swarms to high-end loyal wingmen; winners compete for prototyping mirroring Increment 1’s downselect to production.
Joint Navy/Marine Corps interoperability baked in for multi-domain ops; autonomy deals follow RTX/Shield AI Increment 1 path.
CCA2 Design Spectrum Expands
Refinement phase explores cost-effectiveness balancing Replicator’s 1,000-unit urgency with exquisite capabilities; timeline hinges on testing.
CCA Program Phases:
| Increment | Status | Vendors |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prototypes flying | Anduril, GA |
| 2 | 9 Concept Refinement | Undisclosed |
| Future | Production | Multi-vendor |
Software structure TBD post-Increment 1 autonomy wins.
Drone Wingmen Reshape Air Combat
$10B+ investment fields thousands by 2029 enhancing F-35/B-21 lethality across services.
