Aerial warfare revolution: US moves to deploy robot wingmen; India developing CATS Warrior

Aerial warfare revolution: US moves to deploy robot wingmen; India developing CATS Warrior Ushering in the future of aerial warfare, the US Air Force (USAF) has awarded the first-increment contract for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme.This marks the first operational step in how airpower will be acquired and deployed.Building on decades of semi‑autonomous flight research, CCAs are unmanned aircraft designed to integrate seamlessly with crewed fighters, extending reach, situational awareness and survivability in contested environments.Contracts awarded ahead of schedule confirm that General Atomics’ FQ-42 (Dark Merlin) and Anduril’s FQ-44 (Fury) meet mission requirements and are ready for full-scale production.These pilotless aircraft, intended for manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), elevate pilots to mission commanders who direct robotic wingmen as sensors, shooters and weapons carriers.The CCAs will fly ahead of manned platforms as weaponised eyes and ears and can absorb enemy fire, preserving the more expensive crewed aircraft. They will also reduce reliance on manned sorties while increasing combat mass.Concepts range from standardized aircraft capable of manned or unmanned operation to smaller, attritable drones such as Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat, which is undergoing flight testing. End of Article