The U.S. Air Force has chosen Anduril and General Atomics to build its first operational Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, according to DefenseScoop. The selection moves the program out of the design phase and toward aircraft that could actually fly alongside crewed fighters.
CCA drones are meant to act as robotic "wingmen" — uncrewed aircraft that fly with piloted jets to extend their reach and take on riskier tasks. Picking two builders signals the Air Force wants competing designs rather than betting on a single contractor.
DefenseScoop reports that the Air Force has also selected Anduril, Shield AI and Collins Aerospace to compete for a separate contract: serving as the primary mission autonomy software provider for the first batch of drones, known as CCA Increment 1. That software is the "brain" that would let the drones operate with limited human direction.
Notably, Anduril appears on both lists — in the running to build the airframes and to supply the autonomy software that controls them.
The split between hardware and autonomy software reflects how modern military aircraft are being developed: the flying machine and the artificial intelligence that guides it are treated as distinct, separately contracted pieces.
Why it matters: These awards mark a concrete step toward fielding AI-controlled combat aircraft, and they hand early leadership in a high-stakes new category of warfare to a mix of defense startups and established contractors.