CCA Enhancement 2 Ought Not Aim for Grandiosity, but Superiority over Enhancement 1
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall lays it out: the second phase of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program shouldn't be a high-end, top-secret aircraft—highly stealthy, loaded with sensors, and loaded with weaponry. Instead, it should offer more capabilities than the first phase, with an added cost of 20-30%. That's according to a chat with Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The CCA program is all about crafting semi-autonomous combat aircraft that can fly in swarms alongside manned planes, packing some extra firepower or taking on specialized missions later on. Yet, the capabilities and costs of these "wingman" drones are the topic of endless debates among Air Force bigwigs and industry bosses.
For the initial phase, Kendall is aiming for a cost per airframe that's a "fraction" of a crewed F-35—something between $25-30 million each. Preliminary work has already kicked off on the second phase, but Air Force officials have kept schtum about its desired characteristics. The options on the table range from a simpler, cheaper aircraft to a super-advanced platform that can penetrate enemy airspace deep and lay waste.
But Kendall ain't too keen on creating an "exquisite" CCA for the second phase. In his exit interview, he explained that wargames and analyses have shown that CCAs in large numbers can multiply combat options for the Air Force and impose a hefty cost on any adversary who needs to neutralize each one. Making a highly capable-and expensive-CCA would be counterproductive, he said.
Yet, Kendall also seems to be pouring ice water on the idea that the second phase will be simpler and cheaper than the first phase. A boost in cost for the second iteration of around 20-30% wouldn't be unreasonable, he said, depending on the capabilities distributed across every aircraft.
Kendall hinted that some options under consideration for the Next-Generation Air Dominance system, a crewed successor to the F-22, might be in the mix. He's passed the buck on that one to his successors in the Trump administration.
CCA Increment 1—with two variants developed by Anduril Industries and General Atomics—is reportedly making rapid progress. Kendall says it'll be in service within a few years, and simulations with operators show it'll have a gigantic operational payoff. The Air Force is already leaning into autonomy tech, with programs like the X-62 Vista and the Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model-Autonomy Flying Testbed (VENOM-AFT) in the works for sensors, weapons, and airframes.
But Increment 2? The Trump administration will have the final say on that one. All in all, in Kendall's view, launching the CCA program and getting the first phase in action is one of his key achievements as secretary. The CCA is a revolutionary capability for the Air Force, he said.
As for the CCA's role in our bold strategy for tactical air dominance, well, that's another story...
- The second phase of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, as outlined by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, should not involve a highly stealthy aircraft loaded with top-secret weaponry, contrary to initial assumptions.
- Kendall suggests that the second phase of the CCA program might incorporate elements from the Next-Generation Air Dominance system, a crewed successor to the F-22, but he has left this decision for his successors in the Trump administration.
- Rather than opting for a simpler, cheaper aircraft in the second phase of the CCA program, increased capabilities distributed across every aircraft could result in a 20-30% cost boost, according to Kendall.
- The role of the CCA in our strategic tactical air dominance is yet to be fully defined, as outlined by Kendall, implying that future discussions and decisions might involve the use of advanced technology, space force, space warfare, missiles, aircraft, drones, and various weapons systems in this context.
