US Air Force aiming to have CCA operational by end of the decade
US Air Force Colonel Helfrich and representatives from Anduril, General Atomics, Kratos and Shield AI discuss the CCA programme at the Airpower Futures Forum on 13 November. (Photo: author)
By making “tough choices”, the US Air Force’s CCA programme has continued to move forward with Increment 2 on the horizon.
The current timeline for the Collaborative Combative Aircraft (CCA) programme will see the initiative reach “operational capability by the end of the decade”, according to US Air Force Colonel Timothy Helfrich, senior materiel leader for the Advanced Aircraft Division at Air Force Materiel Command.
At the Airpower Futures Forum organised by the Mitchell Institute and taking place last week in Washington DC, Helfrich announced that the CCA designs of Anduril Industries and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems had completed their critical design reviews and production for prototype testing could now begin.
Helfrich and fellow panellists Diem Salmon, VP for air dominance
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