The service used a multi-day exercise at Creech Air Force Base to test semi-autonomous aircraft, distributed operations, and a faster operational testing process
The U.S. Air Force tested its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) in a realistic operational exercise at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., that moved the semi-autonomous aircraft beyond a traditional flight-test environment, according to the service
The CCA program aims to field uncrewed aircraft alongside crewed fighter aircraft to enhance operations in contested environments, according to the Congressional Research Service
“Air superiority in today’s increasingly contested environments requires the rapid fielding of affordable mass,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said. “CCA are essential to this effort. By integrating uncrewed systems to fly alongside our Airmen, we extend reach and increase lethality.”
The exercise comes as lawmakers and the White House pursue different funding priorities for the program. As MeriTalk previously reported, the House-passed fiscal year (FY) 2027 National Defense Authorization Act would reduce research and development funding for CCA by nearly $137 million, while the White House’s FY 2027 budget proposal would provide nearly $1 billion in procurement funding to begin acquiring the aircraft
Throughout the multi-day Agile Combat Employment exercise, the Experimental Operations Unit – the Air Force’s designated unit for developing CCA employment concepts – generated multiple sorties, integrated with manned platforms in local airspace, and conducted simulated scenarios to inform future requirements for the platform, according to the Air Force
“This exercise was about getting the systems into the hands of the warfighter,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Jensen, commander of the Experimental Operations Unit. “We are focused on operating CCA outside of a traditional test environment so we can continue to learn, inform, and rapidly iterate.”
The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center observed the event under a new rapid operational-testing process. Brig. Gen. Jesse Friedel, the center’s commander, said test teams can use warfighter-run exercises to collect and analyze data for fielding decisions “well ahead of the normal process to deliver combat capability.”
“The exercise was not only a test of technology but a testament to the warfighters who are actively shaping CCA development,” Wilsbach said. “The lessons learned at Creech will directly influence how the Air Force integrates these cutting-edge concepts into future combat ops.”
