Flight Global reports, “The first batch of autonomous ‘Collaborative Combat Aircraft’ being developed for the US Air Force will primarily be tasked with carrying extra precision munitions aloft, with other combat functions coming in subsequent designs.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal – Subscription Publication)
Tag: Drone Wingman
Air Force Addresses Major Flaw in its Drone Wingman Strategy
Defense News reports, “Whatever the next chapter of U.S. air power will look like, there will be drones — and lots of them — accompanying manned fighters into battle. But as Air Force leaders translated their vision into an acquisition strategy, a novel meeting of the minds — at least by Defense Department standards — may have saved the service from a major miscalculation: A new cohort of so-called collaborative combat aircraft, as originally envisioned, wouldn’t be able to fly far enough to be effective in combat, which would have been a serious problem in the Pacific theater.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Draft Documents Indicate Pentagon Considering Big Changes to ICBM, Drone Wingmen programs in FY25
Breaking Defense reports, “Following the passage of a year-long continuing resolution (CR) in March, the Pentagon has considered big changes for marquee Air Force programs like the service’s new nuclear ICBM and futuristic drone wingmen, according to draft budgetary documents. The draft spending plan, which was previously reported by other outlets and obtained by Breaking Defense, includes a proposal for the Air Force to slash over a billion dollars in planned spending for the troubled Sentinel ICBM and funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into the Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)