Collaborative Combat Aircraft

The U.

S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program is developing autonomous fighter drones that can operate alongside crewed aircraft in complex air missions. General Atomics’ FQ-42 Vengeance and Anduril’s FQ-44 Fury are intended to support fighters such as the F-35A and future F-47 through surveillance, defensive operations, offensive counter-air missions, and air-to-air weapons carriage. Testing examines not only autonomy and weapons employment, but also communications, command and control, maintenance, logistics, and austere deployment. The program also raises practical questions about procurement scale, operational doctrine, and how aviation rules and policies must adapt to pilotless combat aircraft.