US Air Force earmarks $1bn to procure collaborative combat aircraft in FY27
May 1, 2026
The US Air Force is preparing to buy its first wave of autonomous “loyal wingman” drones, with nearly $1bn set aside in the FY27 budget for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme.
The move signals that the programme is shifting from experimentation to real-world deployment.
US Air Force CCA funding hits $2.3bn as procurement begins in FY27
Alongside the $996.5 million procurement request for FY27, the Air Force is also seeking $150 million in advance procurement funding for Fiscal 2028, indicating that the programme is being structured for continued production in subsequent years.
Including ongoing research and development spending of $1.37 billion, up from $827 million in Fiscal 2026, the total funding tied to the CCA programme rises to around $2.37 billion.
The CCA procurement line represents the single largest new addition to the Air Force’s $30.64 billion aircraft procurement account, underscoring that the programme is moving from testing into the operational fleet.
The funding is intended to begin production of Increment 1 of the CCA programme. Aerospace Global News previously reported that Anduril, one of the shortlisted vendors, has already entered production.
We have started production of YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft at Arsenal-1.
— Anduril Industries (@anduriltech) March 23, 2026
Analysts estimate that the Fiscal 2027 funding could support the purchase of around 30 CCAs, depending on final unit costs. According to Defense One, the programme is currently tracking below its original $30 million per-unit target.
That would place the aircraft broadly in line with the cost of an MQ-9 Reaper, and at roughly half the flyaway cost of a new F-16 fighter.
US Air Force CCA programme moves from Increment 1 to Increment 2
Increment 1 of the CCA programme will see the Air Force procure around 100-150 loyal wingman drones. The first fighter jet to be paired is expected to be the F-22 Raptor by the end of the decade.
The F-35 is expected to follow, with the F-47 being designed from the ground up as a command centre of sorts to control off-board platforms.
Increment 1 CCAs are expected to be significantly lower-end compared with subsequent increments. These are expected to be mostly focused on air-to-air and strike missions. Later increments will include EW and ISR variants.
While the Air Force has previously expressed intentions to have two CCA’s per fighter jet, tests have shown that a single pilot can effectively manage three to five or even more autonomous vehicles.
While General Atomics’s YFQ-42A and Anduril’s YFQ-44A got the green light for Increment 1, nine vendors are currently under contract for Increment 2 prototypes. Perhaps one of the most notable is the Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A.
Rolls-Royce’s Kaare Erickson recently stated, “The real inflexion point for propulsion is Increment 2, where the Air Force is deciding how much capability, range, survivability, and mission flexibility these platforms truly need.”
Netherlands joins US Air Force CCA drone programme with prototype plans
Separately, OSINT account, Colby Badwar posted, “The Netherlands has joined the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. They will procure two prototypes, either General Atomics’ YFQ-42A or Anduril’s YFQ-44A, or one of each.”
🇺🇸🇳🇱 The Netherlands has joined the US Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. They will procure two prototypes, either General Atomics' YFQ-42A or Anduril’s YFQ-44A, or one of each. pic.twitter.com/CZKuzyAoQV
— Colby Badhwar (@ColbyBadhwar) April 30, 2026
This builds on AGN’s October 2025 report that the Netherlands had signed an agreement to join the CCA programme.
Germany and other European countries are moving to purchase variants of US advanced combat drones, with Kratos, General Atomics, and Anduril all announcing they would set up production lines and partnerships in Europe.
While Europe does have its own domestic loyal wingman drone programmes, like the CA-1 Europa, the United States is the clear leader.
Featured Image: Anduril
