US Navy launches carrier-based CCA programme with contracts awarded to five defence giants
The US Navy has officially entered the race to field a new generation of autonomous combat drones, awarding contracts to five major defence contractors to begin conceptual design work. …
September 8, 2025
The US Navy has officially entered the race to field a new generation of autonomous combat drones, awarding contracts to five major defence contractors to begin conceptual design work.
The effort marks the Navy’s answer to the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative, with a focus on developing a carrier-capable “loyal wingman” able to extend the reach of carrier air wings in future conflicts.
US Navy moving forward to develop advanced CCA
According to Breaking Defense, Anduril, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and General Atomics have each been tasked with developing concepts for the aircraft, while Lockheed Martin has been selected to deliver the common control architecture.
Lockheed confirmed to USNI News that its Skunk Works MDCX autonomy system will serve as the programme of record for the Navy’s MD-5 Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System. This modular control system is intended to manage uncrewed, interoperable platforms across the fleet.
US Navy seeks cheap, expendable combat drones
While the Air Force has priced its CCAs at around $25–30 million each, the Navy is said to be targeting a lower figure, closer to $15 million per aircraft.
The goal is to create shorter-life, more expendable drones that could conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), strike missions, or even one-way attack operations in high-risk environments.
These aircraft would only need to fly for a few hundred hours, allowing them to be produced quickly and cheaply. Industry players are exploring cost-saving measures such as 3D printing. For example, Beehive Industries is using 3D printing to manufacture core parts of advanced Rampart drone engines.
Carrier-based combat drones and 6th-generation fighter jets
The new carrier-based CCAs are being developed to operate alongside the Navy’s current fleet of F-35C stealth fighters and the planned F/A-XX, which will replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
The Navy is pushing to get funding for its F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter jet. The programme has seen pushback from some corners in Washington, with critics claiming the US aerospace base is not large enough to develop two cutting-edge next-generation fighter jets side-by-side. They have suggested the Navy should wait until after the Air Force’s F-47 is developed.
The Navy sees a long-range fighter and accompanying CCAs as essential to keeping its carrier strike groups survivable in future conflicts. Current Super Hornets lack the range to project power without forcing carriers dangerously close to contested areas.
The Navy is also working to close its aerial refuelling shortfall. After retiring the KA-6D Intruder and S-3 Viking tankers, the service has relied on F/A-18s refuelling other F/A-18s – an inefficient solution.
Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray unmanned carrier-based tanker is expected to enter service in 2027, helping extend the legs of both manned fighters and future CCAs.
The future of the US Navy’s loyal wingman programme
Although the Navy has been more secretive than the Air Force about its programme, officials have signalled that the service is seeking “uncrewed, modular, interoperable, interchangeable, and versatile platforms” to support carrier air wings well into the 21st century.
If successful, the Navy’s CCAs will not only operate as loyal wingmen to the F-35C and F/A-XX but will also offer commanders a scalable mix of ISR, strike, and attritable platforms designed to ensure the continued relevance of US aircraft carriers in highly contested environments.
