Manned-unmanned teaming

XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned combat aerial vehicle

Manned-unmanned teaming refers to the collaborative operation of manned and unmanned systems, typically in military or aerospace contexts, to enhance mission effectiveness. It enables human operators to control, coordinate, or supervise autonomous or semi-autonomous platforms, such as drones or robotic systems, to improve situational awareness, reduce risk, and optimize performance in complex environments.

A loyal wingman is a proposed type of unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) which incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) and is capable of collaborating with the next generation of crewed combat aircraft, including sixth-generation fighters and bombers such as the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider. Also unlike the conventional UCAV, the loyal wingman is expected to be capable of surviving on the battlefield but to be significantly lower-cost than a crewed aircraft with similar capabilities. In the US, the concept is known as the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA). ^[1] CCAs are intended to operate in collaborative teams with the next generation of manned combat aircraft, including sixth-generation fighters and bombers such as the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider. ^[2] Unlike the conventional UCAVs, the CCA incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), ^[a] denoted an "autonomy package", increasing its survivability on the battlefield. It is still expected to cost much less than a manned aircraft with similar capabilities. ^[4] The US Air Force plans to spend more than $8.9 billion on its CCA programs from fiscal years 2025 to 2029, with an additional $661 million planned for fiscal year 2024. ^[5] The success of the CCA program may lessen the need for additional manned squadrons. ^{[6] [7]}

Characteristics

Conceptualization

Unmanned systems, including but not limited to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), require remote control, with humans overseeing missions that unmanned systems perform semi- or automated mission segments. With advancements in electronics on both the unmanned system side and the controller side, increased mission autonomy was achieved, including automatic take-off and landing, autonomous mission planning, automatic target recognition, tracking, and engagement. Combined with artificial intelligence and machine learning, human operators gradually reduced their roles in direct control, instead took supervisory roles to approve or deny the machine’s decisions. The operation in which semi-autonomous systems perform specific tasks based on human orders is called Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T). ^[8]

The highest autonomy level enables unmanned platforms to operate within integrated manned-unmanned teams, with one operator controlling multiple unmanned platforms, and when human control is unavailable, perform their mission independently. Manned-Unmanned Teaming ensures efficient and economic use of resources on the battlefield. Drone swarm and robotic wingman (loyal wingman) are both envisioned as examples of the Manned-Unmanned Teaming operation. ^{[8] [9]}

The United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence defined MUM-T as the "synchronized employment of soldier, manned and unmanned air and ground vehicles, robotics, and sensors to achieve enhanced situational understanding, greater lethality, and improved survivability". ^[10]

In 2002, NATO STANAG 4586 defined Levels of Interoperability (LOI) for Manned-Unmanned Teaming operation via data links, ^{[8] [10]} with Level 1 defining the weakest interoperability and most basic remote controlled system, while Level 5 denoted unmanned aerial vehicles capable of self-launch and recovery. Higher levels of LOI and autonomy are being actively explored by military planners, including ways for a single manned platform to control multiple unmanned systems, ^[8] enabling AI-assisted formation flight, ^[11] and controlling fully autonomous unmanned systems via a network. ^{[8] [10]}

Loyal wingman

The loyal wingman is a military drone with an onboard AI control system and the capability to carry and deliver a significant military weapons load. The AI system is envisaged as being significantly lighter and lower-cost than a human pilot with their associated life support systems, but to offer comparable capability in flying the aircraft and in mission execution. ^[12]

Some concepts depict a standardized aircraft deployed in two variants: one as a sixth-generation fighter with a human pilot and/or battle commander in the cockpit, and the other as a loyal wingman with an AI system substituted in the same location. BAE Systems envisages the Tempest to be capable of operating in both manned and unmanned configurations. ^[13]

Another concept is to develop a dedicated, affordable, smaller, and cheaper autonomous wingman that can be integrated into a crewed and uncrewed aircraft team system. The drone, in turn, carries its own munitions. The reduced cost would make the platform attritable and replaceable in case of loss. The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat was one of the early explorations of the expandable loyal wingman. ^[14]

The Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) is a United States Air Force (USAF) program that explored a similar theme—autonomous fighters that can work alongside sixth-generation fighters. Both MQ-28 and Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie were considered options in the early CCA developments. ^[14]

Role

The principal application is to elevate the role of human pilots to mission commanders, leaving AIs as "loyal wingmen" to operate under their tactical control as high-skill operators of relatively low-cost robotic craft. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Loyal wingmen can perform other missions as well, as "a sensor, as a shooter, as a weapons carrier, as a cost reducer". ^{[18] [19]}

Regular unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) and loyal wingman/CCA are both considered manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capable aircraft; however, a distinguishing difference between them is often made by some defense analysts. CCAs are manned platforms' loyal wingman, providing extended-range strikes, frontline intelligence, and additional layers of protection for manned assets, which requires affordability for ‘combat mass’. The UCAVs are considered higher-performance aircraft that can perform independent operations and 'traditional' roles like that of fighter and strike aircraft. Nevertheless, both CCAs and UCAVs are aimed at having collaborative capabilities. ^{[20] [21]}

Capabilities

Despite some reports focusing on the attrition aspect of the CCA, ^[14] USAF Secretary Frank Kendall later clarified that CCA's focus on the "affordable mass" doesn't mean the platforms are expandable or attritable. ^[22] Kendall believed CCA should be remotely controlled versions of targeting pods, electronic warfare pods, or weapons carriers to provide additional sensors and munitions; to balance affordability and capability. ^{[23] [22]} According to him, the platforms should have sufficient intelligence and onboard defense systems to survive on the battlefield, playing "100 roles": ^{[24] [25] [22]}

The price point of a CCA will determine how many types of missions a single airframe can perform, with more expensive designs able to be multirole aircraft, while cheaper designs could be modular to perform different tasks on different days, which can afford to be lost in combat. ^{[2] [26]} Two increments are planned: increment 1 CCAs will have sensor and targeting systems to focus on carrying additional munitions for manned aircraft; increment 2 CCAs will have greater stealth and autonomy to perform missions including EW, SEAD, and potentially act as decoys. It's possible that two distinct solutions could emerge from this stage, one high-end and "exquisite" and the other more basic and inexpensive, oriented around a single mission. ^{[27] [28]} Service officials started out developing the increment 2 CCA as a high-end, stealthy platform, but wargames showing that large numbers of low-end aircraft would be more effective than small numbers of high-end versions in a simulated Pacific conflict influenced them to rethink their approach. ^[29]

The USAF is seeking CCAs with greater thrust than the current MQ-28 and the XQ-58. ^{[30] [31]}

By country

The concept of the loyal wingman arose in the early 2000s and, since then, countries such as Australia, China, Japan, Russia, the UK and the US have been researching and developing the necessary design criteria and technologies. ^[12]

Australia

Boeing Australia is leading development of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat loyal wingman for the RAAF, with BAE Systems Australia providing much of the avionics. ^[32] The MQ-28 was first flown in 2021 and since then, at least 8 aircraft have been built.

China

Artist impression of AVIC Dark Sword

Chengdu WZ-10 flying above East China Sea

China is known to be developing various "loyal wingman" prototypes such as AVIC Dark Sword, ^[33] which is a concept first revealed in 2006. ^[34] As of 2019, China manufactures drones at large scale and has well-developed swarming technology. However, the planned level of autonomy and integration with these systems is not known. ^[35]

The Rand Corporation reported that PLA was actively monitoring MUM-T concept developments in the United States, identifying US vulnerabilities and developing countermeasures since 2015. ^[36]

Crewed component

China planned to use twin-seat stealth fighters to coordinate unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAVs) and "loyal wingman" platforms via networking and datalink. The advantage of a second operator includes the potential for better interpreting and exploiting the enormous sensory data collected by all friendly platforms, which could overload the limited cognitive and processing capacity for a single human, especially in a contested air combat environment. ^{[37] [38]} The back-seater operator would focus on managing the manned or unmanned aircraft fleet, reducing the pilot's workload in a contested air combat environment. ^{[33] [39]} With increased automation and artificial intelligence in the aircraft system, the two men crew would likely be able to delegate more complex AEW&C tasks, absorb information, and make tactical decisions.^{[ citation needed ]}The stealth platform could act as a more survivable and distributed alternative to traditional control aircraft, as the stealth allows them to collect data from "loyal wingman" systems and sensors on the frontline. ^{[37] [38] [40]}

The development of a twin-seater variant of the Chengdu J-20 was hinted at by its chief designer in 2019.^{[ citation needed ]} In January 2021, Aviation Industry Corporation of China released computer renderings of the twin-seat variant of the J-20 fighter in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the jet's maiden flight. ^[41] In February 2021, a South China Morning Post infographic depicted a twin-seat J-20 variant powered by thrust vectoring WS-10C. ^[42] In October 2021, a taxiing prototype, dubbed J-20S by analysts, ^{[43] [37]} was spotted near Chengdu Aircraft Corporation facilities, making J-20S the first-ever two-seat stealth fighter. ^{[44] [45]}

In July 2024, USAF Major Joshua Campbell of CASI recommended that the USAF evaluate the concept of twin-seat J-20 fighters for future combat systems. Campbell found merit in China's approach to human-to-machine interaction in an operationally limited (CDO-L) combat environment with information saturation. He believed the twin-seat J-20, with its secondary pilot serving as a control operator for managing collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) and other aircraft in formation, could serve as an inspiration for the F-15EX program and air platforms beyond traditional roles before more advanced AI decision-maker becomes available. ^[46]

In January 2019, Dr. Wang Haifeng, chief designer of the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) announced that China had begun pre-research on a new aircraft, which would include capability to control unmmaned aircraft.^{[ citation needed ]} Intelligence and rumors indicated the Chinese designs would use tailless flying wing or flying arrowhead configuration that can provide greater broadband stealth characteristics compared to the previous generation of fighters, new propulsion technologies, improved sensors allowing the aircraft to operate alongsideManned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) aircraft or unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), etc.^{[ citation needed ]}

On 26 December 2024, a prototype of the Chengdu J-36 was spotted in China. ^{[47] [48]} Based on the available footage, analysts Bill Sweetman, writing for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, speculated that J-36 could serve as a supercruising launching platform for long-range missiles and a command and control hub for other manned and unmanned aircraft. ^{[49] [50]} Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), suggested large crewed aircraft can offer unique strategic advantages for China and the US in the Indo-Pacific region, which has limited forward bases and increasing threats from missiles, drones, and electronic warfare (EW) environment. ^[51] Bronk argued that while distributed uncrewed systems, such as [[|#Unitedb States|collaborative combat aircraft]] (CCA), offer cost-effective combat mass, their reliance on datalinks makes them vulnerable to EW disruption, highlighting the enduring value of crewed aircraft like J-36, which can operate independently in contested environments. ^[51]

Uncrewed component

The Hongdu GJ-11 unmanned aircraft, one of the proposed MUM-T aircraft

Various UCAV and loyal wingman mockups displayed at the 2025 China Victory Day Parade

One of the earliest attempts at the loyal wingman concept in China was the AVIC Dark Sword. ^[33] In October 2022, Chinese media showcased the concept of the J-20 two-seater controlling stealth Hongdu GJ-11 unmanned combat aerial vehicles, and the back seat is designated for the weapons officer. ^{[52] [53]} It could also potentially manage the LJ-1, a low-end modular drone platform. ^[54] The Chengdu WZ-10 is another drone envisioned for loyal wingman usage. ^[55]

In 2021, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, a Chinese state-owned defense and aerospace manufacturer, revealed the Feihong FH-97 prototype unmanned combat aerial vehicle with stealth capabilities. It was developed as a "loyal wingman" drone, designed to suppress air defenses with electronic countermeasures, fly ahead of aircraft to provide early warning, act as an expandable decoy, as well as provide reconnaissance and damage evaluation. ^[56] The FH-97 can also deploy the FH-901 to strike maneuvering targets. ^[57] In 2022, the company revealed Feihong FH-97A, a prototype loyal wingman drone designed to fly alongside the J-20 fighter. ^[58] It can also carry up to 8 air-to-air missiles or loitering munitions and use rocket boosters to take off without a runway. ^{[59] [60]}

In August 2025, five different types of five different loyal wingmen prototype drones were spotted in Beijing, China, in the rehearsals for the 2025 China Victory Day Parade. Some of these designs were previously captured by satellite images at various PLAAF bases around the country. Aside from the loyal wingmen, the naval variant of the Hongdu GJ-11 flying wing UCAV ^{[61] [62]} and a regular Wing Loong-esque medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) type drone were also spotted at the Parade staging area. ^{[63] [64]}

In the final parade on September 3, 2025, only four of the five loyal wingmen prototypes were displayed to the public. ^[65] In their formation, four new stealthy uncrewed aircraft designs made their debut following the Hongdu GJ-11 and Wing Loong drones. The first design was a single dorsal intake, swept wings, and canted vertical tails, resembling XQ-58. ^[20] The second design featured a single dorsal intake but with sleeker, diamond-shaped wings. The third and fourth designs were notably larger (akin to the size of Chengdu J-10), with one design having a tailless lambda-shaped configuration with two caret-style engine intakes, and the second design having diamond-delta wings with two side-mounted Diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI). Unlike smaller CCAs, the two larger unmanned aircraft use larger jet engines, likely derivatives of the WS-10 or WS-15 turbofans. ^{[65] [20] [62]}

A third uncrewed aircraft prototype that was spotted during the rehearsals was not presented in the final parade. ^[20]

All uncrewed "loyal wingman" aircraft in the Parade were sporting serial numbers associated with the PLAAF airbases. Michael Dahm of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies believed these numbers indicated that the aircraft were undergoing test and evaluation in limited numbers at the PLAAF bases; however, there was no indication of wide-scale deployment at frontline PLAAF units. ^[66]

The War Zone noted that the large unmanned aircraft China showed differed in concept from the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), as the latter focused more on cooperativity, expandability, and affordability, whereas Chinese designs were aimed at independent operations and true fighter-like unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). ^[21]

Uncrewed aircraft models shown at the 2025 China Victory Day Parade

Name	Position	Serial No.	Intake	Wing configuration	Size	Role	Note	Ref
Hongdu GJ-11 Navalized	First Roll	21 or 22	Front-mounted dorsal intake	Tailless flying-wing		Unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV)	Naval variant	[20] [21] [61] [62] [65]
CAIG Wing Loong	Second Roll		Turboprop	Standard wings		Unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV)		[20] [21] [65]
	Third Roll Left	53431	Front-mounted dorsal intake	Swept wings with canted V-tails	Smaller	Unmanned wingman (strike aircraft)	Similar to the FH-97 but thicker, resembling XQ-58	[20] [21] [62] [65]
	Third Roll Right	53432	Central-mounted dorsal intake	Diamond wings with canted V-tails	Smaller	Unmanned wingman (strike aircraft)		[20] [21] [62] [65]
"Type A"	Fourth Roll Left	53636	Side-mounted caret intakes	Tailless lambda wings	Larger	Unmanned air dominance fighter (air superiority)		[20] [21] [62] [65]
"Type B"	Fourth Roll Right	53536	Side-mounted diverterless supersonic intakes (DSI)	Tailless diamond-delta wings	Larger	Unmanned air dominance fighter (air superiority)	Fitted with IRST or EOTS	[20] [21] [62] [65]
	Not present		Central-mounted dorsal intake	Jagged swept wings with canted V-tails	Smaller	Unmanned wingman (strike aircraft)	Similar to the FH-97	[20] [65]

Germany

European aerospace manufacturer Airbus has proposed the Airbus Wingman, a loyal wingman aircraft. The aircraft would be an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) which would accompany a Eurofighter Typhoon or other combat aircraft as a force multiplier. ^[67]

India

The HAL CATS Warrior is an AI-enabled wingman drone under development by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) for the proposed Combat Air Teaming System (CATS). Successful completion of engine ground runs was done in 2025.

Japan

Japan announced a development programme for a loyal wingman drone in 2021, issuing the first round of funding in 2022. ^{[68] [69]} The drone is intended to be carried for deployment by a proposed F-X fighter, also under development. ^[70]

Russia

Russian projects for wingman-class drones are thought to include the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik and the Kronshtadt Grom. However, although Russia already manufactured drones, the planned level of autonomy or even AI for these systems are not known. ^{[71] [72]}

South Korea

In addition to the production of the new generation fighter, KF-21, South Korea plans to develop several types of UCAVs as wingmen to team up with the manned fighter. ^{[73] [74]}

Turkey

TAI Anka-3 is a jet-powered, flying wing type stealth UCAV. ^[75] Its maiden flight was successfully completed on 28 December 2023. ^{[76] [77]} On October 30, 2024, a TAI Anka-3 UCAV armed with a cruise missile became the first drone in history to be controlled by another aircraft in the loyal wingman role, representing an advancement in remote control capabilities for military aviation. ^[78]

United Kingdom

The RAF in the UK has been developing the Loyal Wingman concept since 2015, with the Spirit Mosquito technology demonstrator flying in 2020. Programme funding was cancelled in June 2022 because the Ministry of Defence felt that it was better spent on less ambitious advances. ^[79]

United States

DARPA AlphaDogfight Trials (ADTs), 20 August 2020

The concept of the CCA arose in the early 2000s. CCA programs include the USAF Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. ^[80] The US Navy and USAF plan to be able to control the CCAs and NGADs of either service. ^{[81] [82] [22] [83]} The CCA is being developed in collaborative fashion ^[84] by multiple commands of the USAF: MG Heather L. Pringle of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); MG R. Scott Jobe of Air Combat Command (ACC); LTG Dale R. White, program executive officer (PEO) for fighters and advanced aircraft; and BG Joseph Kunkel, DCS, Plans and Programs. ^[85] All four generals agreed on the need to put CCAs into the Joint Simulation Environment. ^{[85] [b]}

Defense policy expert Heather Penney has identified five key elements for the collaborative development of crewed-uncrewed teaming of autonomous loyal wingmen, remote pilots of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and pilots flying separately in manned aircraft (also called manned-unmanned teaming). ^{[100] [101] [102]}

• Create concepts that will maximize the strengths of both CCA and piloted aircraft working as a team.
• Include operators in CCA development to ensure they understand how they will perform in the battlespace.
• Warfighters must be able to depend on CCA autonomy.
• Warfighters must have assured control over CCA in highly dynamic operations.
• Human workloads must be manageable.

The Autonomous Core System, Skyborg's autonomy package, was shown to be portable across multiple airframes; ^{[103] [104]} this has led Skyborg to become a Program of Record with a Program Executive Officer (PEO) for acquisition. ^{[103] [105]} Skyborg will continue to serve as a science and technology platform. ^[103]

The General Dynamics X-62 VISTA is a modified F-16 which can fly autonomously, with a test pilot to take over if necessary.

MQ-9 Reaper (UAV) at a forward area refuelling point

Most UAVs are remotely piloted, but an AI program piloting a collaborative combat aircraft would need a mission commander for crewed-uncrewed teaming. —Heather Penney. ^{[101] [102]} In 2020, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) AlphaDogfight test program established that AI programs that fly fighter aircraft will overmatch human pilots, to the extent that the AI agents even flew with fine motor control. ^{[106] [107]} An autonomy package on the VISTA testbed has demonstrated dogfighting capability. ^[108] US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall flew in the X-62A VISTA, which was under AI control. ^[109] The NGAD ^{[110] [111]} is anticipated to use loyal wingmen (CCAs). ^{[112] [113] [19]} Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall envisions these uncrewed aircraft as performing parts of a larger mission; ^[80] CCA development can be conducted in parallel with NGAD development, which has to take into account a larger set of requirements. ^[19] Up to five autonomous CCAs would operate with an NGAD. ^[80]

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will test their Skyborg manned-unmanned programs such as Autonomous Air Combat Operations (AACO), ^[114] and DARPA will test its Air Combat Evolution (ACE) ^[18] artificial intelligence program. ^[115] The System for Autonomous Control of Simulation (SACS) software for human interface is being developed by Calspan. ^[115]

DARPA's Longshot is an air-launched UAV meant to extend the range of a mission ^[116] and reduce the risk to manned aircraft, which could then remain at standoff range; if Longshot were to use Air Combat Evolution (ACE), ^[18] missiles launched from that Longshot could more effectively select targets. ^[117] On March 6, 2023, DARPA chose General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to carry out the design of the air-launched Longshot drone through Critical Design Review (CDR); a LongShot would itself carry an AMRAAM or Sidewinder missile, which greatly extends the range of these missiles. ^[118] In this way, a Boeing F-15EX Eagle II or similar 4th-generation fighter can greatly increase their survivability, when armed with a LongShot. ^[118] GA-ASI is developing a core package (Gambit) for the CCA market. ^[119]

On 9 December 2022, the Air Force Test Pilot School tested its General Dynamics X-62 VISTA, a modified F-16 Fighting Falcon which can fly autonomously, with 2 different AI packages. ^[114] By 16 December 2022 the VISTA had flown eight sorties using ACE, and six sorties using AACO, at a rate of two sorties per day. ^{[114] [120] [121]} Six F-16s from Eglin AFB will be fitted with autonomy agents, to establish the foundation of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. ^{[122] [123] [106]} The CCA lines of effort as of March 2023 ^[update] were: ^{[123] [124]}

• Developing the Collaborative combat aircraft platform itself,
• developing the autonomy package that will fly a CCA, and
• figuring out how to organize, train, equip, and supply the CCA program ^[124]

On 24 January 2024, the US Air Force awarded contracts to five contractor teams led by Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman for the development of collaborative combat aircraft. ^[125]

On 24 April 2024, the US Air Force announced that they had eliminated Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman from the Increment I competition and that the Anduril Fury and General Atomics Gambit would be moving forward with development. The Air Force expects to make a final decision between the two companies' offerings by 2026. ^{[27] [126]} As the CCA program is expected to result in multiple types of aircraft with varying capabilities and costs, all companies are expected to bid again for follow-on Increments. ^[127]

On 19 September 2024, General Atomics displayed a full-scale model of a CCA. ^[128] One such CCA version is a 'missile truck', ^[128] which would augment the capabilities of a crewed/uncrewed mission. Anduril, a competing CCA vendor also displayed a full-scale model.

On the 3rd of March 2025, the Air Force released a statement designating the General Atomics design the YFQ-42A, and the Anduril design the YFQ-44A. ^[129]

Funding

A CCA is estimated to cost between one-half and one-quarter as much as $80 million Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II; ^[6] the desired cost is between $25-30 million per airframe. ^[29] US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is aiming for an initial fleet of 1,000 CCAs. ^[130] As elements of a crewed-uncrewed team, two CCAs could be teamed with an NGAD or F-35, say two for each of the 200 NGAD platforms, ^[131] and two for each of the 300 F-35s, in order to work out concepts to integrate them into the service, ^[124] but the full inventory could be twice that size. ^[132] As of 3 July 2024, the Air Force requested reprogramming an additional $150 million for CCA development in 2024. ^[133] This is a 40% increase over the $392 million budget previously requested; the FY2025 budget request will reflect an additional increment; ^{[133] [134]} the money for NGAD was adjusted appropriately. ^[135]

The 26th Secretary of the US Air Force listed CCAs among his top seven priorities for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request to its Chief of staff: ^[19] Collaborative combat aircraft are entering the FY2024 presidential budget request; ^[123] Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) projects are estimated to be $500 million for perhaps "100 roles" in USAF missions in FY2024. ^[24] The US Air Force plans to spend more than $6 billion on its CCA programs over the next five years (2023 to 2028). ^[136]

List of aircraft

Examples include:

• Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat - 8 in testing (Block 1), planned entry into active service in 2025
• General Dynamics X-62 VISTA - system development aircraft
• Bayraktar Kizilelma
• HAL CATS Warrior - under development
• Hongdu GJ-11
• TAI Anka-3
• Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie - development prototype flying
• Kronshtadt Grom ("Thunder") - under development
• Spirit Mosquito - program cancelled
• Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik - proposed development with upgraded avionics
• Airbus Wingman - proposed development
• Northrop Grumman Model 437 - development prototype flying ^[137]
• GA-ASI Gambit ^[c]
• General Atomics XQ-67 ^{[141] [142] [143] [144]}
• Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie ^{[145] [146]}
• Skyborg Vanguard program entrants. ^{[105] [147] [18] [148]}

See also

• Index of aviation articles

Notes and references

1. Another AI company acquired Heron Systems, which defeated a human F-16 pilot and 5 other AI companies in the DARPA AlphaDogfight trials 2019-2020. ^[3]
2. Improved CCA AI will simplify the kill chains. ^{[26] [86]} See Deptula and Penney, Mosaic Warfare ^{[87] [88] [89] [90] [91] [92] [93] [94] [95] [96] [97] [98] [99] [4]}
3. Off board sensor system (OBSS) ^{[119] [138] [139] [140]}

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