US Navy opens path for Collaborative Combat Aircraft on aircraft carriers

The United States Navy has formally begun the process of bringing collaborative combat drones into its carrier air wings. A new industry request envisages choosing two fully operational prototypes, each capped at US$30 million, that can operate from Nimitz-class and Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers.

Published on 31 August, the Request for Information (RFI) gives industry three years to make the aircraft available. The Navy is therefore pursuing its own version of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) concept, which has so far been driven chiefly by the United States Air Force and Marine Corps.

Navy CCA programme prioritises speed and affordability

The Navy's initial priorities will differ from those of other services. Rather than focusing its first effort on the most sophisticated platform possible, it intends to bring a comparatively affordable aircraft into carrier operations quickly. Follow-on designs could introduce more advanced capabilities, drawing on the lessons learned from these first prototypes.

Up to four external weapons and F-35C and F/A-XX integration

Requirements released through the federal SAM.gov portal outline an aircraft designed from the outset to share the restricted carrier-deck space with current embarked fighters. Its deck footprint must not exceed that of a fourth-generation fighter, and every aspect of its operation must be compatible with Nimitz-class and Ford-class infrastructure.

Weapon capacity is also set to be substantial. Each CCA must be able to carry up to four externally mounted weapons weighing 1,134 kg, enabling the drones to support crewed aircraft across different mission types.

Control will be provided through the MD-5 Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System, linking the new platforms to the architecture the Navy has developed for uncrewed air operations. The RFI additionally requires an industrial base and an interim manufacturing and supply chain able to support the programme.

In time, these drones are expected to operate alongside F-35C Lightning II aircraft and the F/A-XX. The latter is the future next-generation carrier fighter intended to take on roles currently performed by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler.

Navy prepares combined fighter and drone operations

Although the industry request formally launches the search for prototypes, preparations for integrating CCAs into carrier air wings were already under way.

In January, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) used its Joint Simulation Environment to examine combined operations involving the F-35 Lightning II and collaborative drones. This work enabled tactical concepts to be developed and assessed before a definitive naval platform exists. Such preparation will be particularly important because of the specific demands of aircraft-carrier operations. Alongside accompanying crewed aircraft in combat, a naval CCA will need to accommodate limited deck space, launch and recovery cycles, and the control infrastructure already installed on board.

Air Force CCA progress provides a benchmark

The Navy also aims to narrow the gap with the Air Force, whose first CCA programme increment has already reached a more advanced stage with Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury and General Atomics' YFQ-42A.

For example, the YFQ-44A conducted its first launch of an AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile in July, moving towards genuine weapons integration after earlier tests using inert stores. Anduril later confirmed that the first aircraft built at its Arsenal-1 facility in Ohio had been completed and sent to Nevada's desert for a further evaluation campaign. For the Navy, publication of the RFI remains a step before a formal competition is opened. Industry responses will be used to assess whether the requirements are feasible and to prepare a possible request for proposals covering the two prototypes.

The ultimate aim is to add more combat platforms to carrier air wings without relying solely on expensive crewed fighters. CCAs could consequently increase the number of sensors and weapons available during a mission, while taking on some of the risk in high-intensity scenarios and preserving crewed aircraft and their crews.