Industry makes strides on CCA programme as USAF makes nearly $1 billion funding request
The YFQ-44A during flight tests with the EOU. (Photo: USAF)
Anduril’s YFQ-44A has successfully undergone USAF experimental testing for Increment 1, while an engine has officially been selected for Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A – a potential candidate for Increment 2 of the air force’s CCA programme.
The ongoing work by industry and the United States Air Force (USAF) to develop and test for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme has reached further milestones with announcements on operational testing and engine selection from Anduril and Northrop Grumman.
In early April 2026, the USAF Experimental Operations Unit concluded a key exercise at Edwards Air Force Base – one which executed several sorties that tested and refined operational and logistics procedures for sustaining a CCA in contested environments.
The USAF noted that this exercise marked a “vital step toward delivering a combat-effective force multiplier” with the tests representing a shift towards
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