The US Air Force is fast-tracking development of autonomous combat aircraft intended to fly alongside manned fighters, as senior Pentagon officials warned lawmakers this week that future conflicts — particularly against adversaries like China — would require larger, lower-cost, and more survivable air fleets. The programme, known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), has emerged as the centrepiece of America's evolving AI-driven air warfare strategy.

What CCA Is and How It Works

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink described the CCA as a 'massive cost efficient force multiplier' designed to operate in tandem with manned platforms including the F-35, F-22, and the forthcoming F-47 fighter jet. 'When we talk about an unmanned fighter aircraft, for all practical purposes, that's what a CCA is,' Meink told lawmakers. 'It is really a way to build a large number of lower cost fighter aircraft that will support and operate in collaboration with the manned fleet.'

The concept directly addresses a strategic vulnerability: the US cannot match a numerically superior adversary aircraft-for-aircraft using expensive next-generation jets alone. Autonomous wingmen, proponents argue, change that calculus by adding combat mass at a fraction of the cost.

Progress on the Ground

Air Force Chief of Staff General Kenneth Wilsbach told the Senate Armed Services Committee that competing contractors had already completed multiple autonomous flights. 'The autonomous systems are working,' Wilsbach said. 'We're learning from it and adjusting as we go.' He added that the aircraft were designed to 'create more problems and dilemmas for your adversary' by multiplying the number of combat systems operating in contested airspace.

Wilsbach also pointed to real-world precedent, noting that MQ-9 Reaper drones were among the most heavily used platforms during Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East. 'No other platform is even close to the MQ-9,' he said.

Budget and Broader Modernisation Push

The FY2027 budget request allocates $1.4 billion specifically for CCA development. The outlay sits within a wider Air Force modernisation package that also covers the F-47 next-generation fighter, the B-21 stealth bomber, and advanced battle management systems. Pentagon officials framed autonomous platforms as a way to expand combat capacity while simultaneously cutting operational costs and reducing pilot risk.

The hearings spanned both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, reflecting bipartisan urgency around the programme. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike D. Rogers pushed the Air Force to accelerate even further. 'We have to start thinking about that remotely operated fighter jet,' Rogers said. 'The technology already exists.'

The China Dimension

Running through every exchange was concern about China's rapidly advancing military aviation and autonomous warfare capabilities. Air Force officials repeatedly stressed the need to 'innovate faster' to preserve air superiority in future high-end conflicts. This comes amid broader Pentagon anxiety over a potential Taiwan contingency, where Chinese numerical advantages in fighters and missiles have long been flagged as a serious challenge for US planners.

Notably, the CCA push is not happening in isolation — it mirrors parallel autonomous drone programmes across the US Navy and Army, signalling a service-wide shift in how the American military conceptualises air power. How quickly contractors can scale production, and whether the AI systems can perform reliably in contested electronic environments, will determine whether the programme delivers on its strategic promise.