DIU, Navy seek long-range drones for maritime strikes
A new solicitation from the Defense Innovation Unit asks for unmanned systems capable of carrying 1,000-pound class munitions that can fly in a 600 nautical mile radius.
General Atomics
The drone wingman race kicks into high(er) gear: 2026 preview
Sometime in 2026, the Air Force will make a decision about what designs to produce for the first round of its drone wingmen program. The service is also expected to home in on what it wants next.
CCA Round 2: Air Force picks 9 vendors for next batch of drone wingmen
The designs selected for the next group of Collaborative Combat Aircraft represent a “broad spectrum” of concepts, which will be narrowed down at a later date for prototyping, an Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense.
F-22 Controls Unmanned General Atomics MQ-20 Drone In Industry Demo
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) on Monday announced the successful test of an F-22 Raptor fighter controlling an MQ-20 Avenger unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) for the first time […]
In a first, F-22 pilot controls wingman drone from cockpit, General Atomics says
“We already know the F-22 will play a critical role in crewed-uncrewed teaming operations, and General Atomics is in a unique position to get this started now,” company spokesman C. Mark Brinkley told Breaking Defense.
General Atomics launches Gambit 6 drone wingman for air-to-ground operations
International customers will be able to acquire Gambit 6 from 2027, ahead of European “missionized versions” eligible for delivery in 2029, according to General Atomics.
Trump says he’ll sign order to direct Navy to use steam for aircraft carrier catapults
It’s not the first time Trump has fixated on the technology.
Air Force shields CCA drone wingman program from effects of government shutdown
The service has permitted furloughed employees to return to work “to ensure continuity of operations and avoid any potential delay” for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, according to an Air Force official.
Shutdown will delay Air Force drone wingman’s first flight, Anduril executive says
“I can’t fund the government,” said Anduril Founder Palmer Luckey.
With munitions and CCA in mind, small engines make a big show at AFA
“This is certainly a growth market. It’s gonna take awhile to get there, but you could easily see hundreds of air vehicles built per year in this market sometime in the early 2030s,” Richard Aboulafia, managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, told Br…