The Paris Airshow featured autonomous military drones known as “wingmen” as defense companies presented their advanced aircraft systems which will operate alongside fighter jets in future battles.
The U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program receives development support from defense technology startup Anduril and General Atomics among other firms. The 17-foot Fury drone made its debut at the event and Anduril plans to start production in 2027. According to Anduril’s VP of engineering Jason Levin the drone operates at fighter jet performance levels.
The Ohio-based production facility of Anduril will receive $2.5 billion in funding while the company secured a $38 million contract to deliver Altius drones to Ukraine through a UK agreement. Boeing conducted a live demonstration of its Ghost Bat drones performing alongside manned aircraft during the event.
The drones which offer surveillance capabilities and cyber warfare and strike functions serve as core components of U.S. Pacific defense strategies because of growing Chinese military aggression. General Atomics presented its YFQ-42A drone as a direct competitor to Anduril’s design.
The CCA program aims to deploy more than 1,000 autonomous drones which marks a significant advancement in U.S. air combat strategy. The technology received praise from Australia because it enables one pilot to function as an entire fighting team.
