Air Force officer sees options for ‘cheaper,’ less ‘exquisite’ CCA drone wingmen

Air Force officer sees options for ‘cheaper,’ less ‘exquisite’ CCA drone wingmen

“I think you'll see a range of options, from low end to potentially more exquisite,” Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel said of forthcoming tranches of drone wingmen. “I tend to think that it's probably going to be closer to this low end thing when we start looking at the further CCA increments.”

U.S. Air Force Signals Cheaper, Simpler Wingmen Drones for Next CCA Tranche

Future tranches of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program may be less expensive and sophisticated than previously expected, a senior Air Force officer said Thursday. Speaking at […]

Air Force Futures Boss Leans Toward ‘Low End’ CCA in Next Increment | Air & Space Forces Magazine

The next iteration of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft are likely to be less sophisticated than Increment 1, now in development—and could include air-launched vehicles, according to the head of Air Force Futures. “I think you’ll see a range of options, from the low end to potentially a more exquisite” autonomous, uncrewed CCA, said Maj. Gen. Jospeh D. Kunkel during an AFA “Warfighters in Action” discussion April 24. “I tend to…

Air Force’s Next Batch Of Collaborative Combat Drones Could Be Less ‘Exquisite,’ Cheaper

We now have more clarity on the U.S. Air Force’s plans for its second tranche of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, known as Increment 2. This includes the likelihood that each CCA Increment 2 drone will cost less than was previously expected, as well as the increasing likelihood of its integration with assets in addition to fighters, including the B-21 stealth bomber and E-7 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The info…