The US Air Force has for the first time designated two prototype drones as combat aircraft, marking the beginning of a new era in military aviation. These combat drones, called “loyal wingmen”, are set to enhance the Air Force fleet and be ready for deployment this summer to serve as a new tool against the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific conflict.
The General Atomics MQ-67A combat drone is designated as YFQ-42A, and the counterpart from Anduril Industries is named YFQ-44A. Following US Air Force naming conventions, Y stands for prototype, F for fighter, and Q for unmanned.
The Air Force refers to these drones as “Collaborative Combat Unmanned Aircraft” (CCA), powered by jet engines to operate alongside manned F-22 and F-35 fighter jets, either singularly or in group missions.
It is envisioned that a manned sixth-generation stealth fighter will be able to control these unmanned drones using cost-effective, less complex autonomous technology.
General David W. Allvin of the US Air Force made the historic announcement during a speech at the Air Force Association’s Warfare Symposium last week. He stated that these combat drones represent a significant advancement in the field of military aviation.
Allvin emphasized that bestowing the combat aircraft designation upon the two prototype collaborative combat drones signifies a step towards a new chapter in aerial warfare.
“With two combat drone prototypes on hand now, a few years ago, it was just a concept on paper and now they are ready for deployment this summer,” Allvin said.
The US Air Force highlights that these two unmanned combat drones are the first of a new generation vital to ensuring air superiority for joint forces in future conflicts.
These aircraft will undergo rigorous testing and evaluations in collaboration with the Air Force and industry partners.
While China is also progressing in developing next-generation aircraft and aviation systems, the US Air Force asserts the importance of utilizing manned-unmanned collaboration in contested environments to combat adversaries. Allvin underlines in a statement, “The world’s most powerful Air Force is about to become even more lethal… Our primary mission is to put warheads on foreheads!”
Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall previously mentioned that the cost of CCAs would be one-third of manned aircraft prices. Robert Winkler, Vice President of National Security Projects at Kratos Defense, noted at a conference, “This is how you achieve affordability alongside survivability.”
Winkler further mentioned that while the aircraft itself is cost-effective, the drones’ sophisticated sensors, radars, and electro-optical cameras are not as cheap.
The US Air Force plans to order over a hundred drones in the next five years.
Preliminary work on the second phase of CCA is said to have commenced per the Congressional Research Service, with the Air Force exploring collaborations with domestic and international manufacturers to develop a more complex platform incorporating stealth technology.
The insights gained from these efforts are deemed crucial in shaping the future of the CCA program and strengthening the US Air Force’s leading position in innovation in the realm of aerial power.