How Will the Air Force’s “Collaborative Combat Aircraft” Drones Work?

In theory, the CCAs will still operate within the constraints of human oversight—but questions remain over how exactly this will work.

The US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program—slated as drone “wingmen” to the Boeing F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program—represents a leap forward in unmanned aerial operations. Whereas today’s drones rely upon remotely piloted systems, complete with human operators and satellite links, the CCA will be truly autonomous—making self-contained combat decisions in real-time, executing missions with minimal human input. 

The CCA Drones Will Contain Integrated AI

Enabling the CCA’s autonomy are advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, which will be tasked with processing endless streams of data. The data will be compiled from onboard sensors, other aircraft, satellites, and ground stations, before being fused into a real-time picture of the battlefield. With the data fused and interpreted, the CCA will be able to interpret threats, consider tactical options, and act—all in milliseconds, far faster than a human pilot. For example, a CCA could detect an incoming threat such as a surface-to-air (SAM) missile, take evasive action, deploy countermeasures, and resume formation—all without needing direct input from a human pilot. The speed and accuracy of the CCA’s machine-based thinking is expected to exceed the speed and accuracy of human thought, making for better and faster decision-making in the field—theoretically lending the Air Force an advantage in dynamic threat-filled environments.

CCAs are also expected to operate as cooperative swarms. Rather than a single CCA, operating in isolation, groups of CCAs will share information with one another across secure networks while synchronizing their maneuvers. The swarm will divide duties amongst them; one CCA might handle electronic warfare, while another manages intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and another handles suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD). The intent of this arrangement is adaptability; if one CCA should be destroyed, another member of the swarm can inherit the downed CCA’s responsibilities. The result is a resilient system that can saturate enemy air defenses. 

CCA Drones Still Need Some Human Oversight

In theory, the CCAs will still operate within the constraints of human oversight. Paired with the human-operated F-47 NGAD or the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the CCA will be the wingman for a “human-machine team,” within which the human pilot sets the rules: mission intent, rules of engagement, ethical constraints. But the details of executing the mission within the parameters of the human-set rules is entirely up to the artificial intelligence driving the CCAs. The relationship is meant to place the autonomous AI in a position to accelerate human decision-making, rather than serve as an outright replacement. In effect, the manned aircraft is the “quarterback” calling plays, which the CCA then carries out. Of course, the scheme depends upon the obedience and reliability of the AI system in question, and the extent to which the AI can conform to the will of the human operator. 

The CCA will be relatively cheap and, because it operates without a human aboard, more expendable than a manned aircraft. Accordingly, the CCA will be used for the missions deemed too dangerous for humans—penetrating heavily defended airspace, drawing enemy fire, performing high-risk reconnaissance, and so on. 

Slated to become operational in the next decade or so, the CCA is the next incremental step in what is beginning to seem an inevitable outcome: the outright replacement of human pilots with remote-piloted and/or autonomous systems.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.