Pentagon signs contracts for 'Loyal wingmen' drones under CCA program
The Pentagon just signed contracts with General Atomics and Anduril to start building a new wave of autonomous combat drones, known as "Loyal Wingmen."
These drones are meant to help out existing fighter jets and pilots, making things more affordable and less reliant on traditional crewed aircraft.
It's all part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which aims to speed up how quickly new tech gets into the skies.
CCA plans 150 drones by 2030
The plan is to have 150 drones ready by 2030, eventually ramping up to about 1,000. Prototype models YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A will be upgraded into operational FQ-42A and FQ-44 versions.
To keep things flexible, software is being developed by several vendors instead of just one.
This push for smarter drones isn't just a US thing: countries everywhere are investing in advanced autonomous systems as military strategies shift with global events.