U.S. Air Force Selects General Atomics and Anduril to Build First CCA Autonomous Wingman Drones

The U.S. Air Force has officially announced the selection of General Atomics and Anduril as the two defense technology companies tasked with developing and building the first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) autonomous wingman platforms.

Three Companies Tapped to Develop Autonomous Flight Systems

Separate from the airframe contracts, the Air Force has designated three companies to develop the CCA's autonomous flight systems:

• Anduril: Selected for both the airframe platform and the autonomous systems programs
• Shield AI: Responsible for providing AI-driven autonomous flight technology
• Collins Aerospace: Tasked with developing avionics and autonomous systems integration solutions

Background on the CCA Program

The CCA program is a cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) strategy, aimed at developing unmanned wingmen capable of operating alongside crewed fighter aircraft. These drones are designed to assist pilots in complex, high-threat combat environments across a range of mission sets, including reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and fire support.

Both selected platform contractors — General Atomics and Anduril — will advance their respective designs through further Air Force evaluation and testing, competing for subsequent production contracts.

Significance and Outlook

The selection is widely regarded as a significant milestone in the Air Force's efforts to accelerate manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operational capabilities. It also signals the growing influence of next-generation defense tech startups — exemplified by Anduril — in challenging the market dominance of traditional large-scale defense contractors.

As the CCA program advances, industry observers expect it to have far-reaching implications for the future of aerial combat and the broader trajectory of autonomous systems technology.

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