US UAV and UCAV Technology

“It’s a show me culture,” Hicks said of Pentagon innovation. “Show me you’ll put your reputation on the line to make change happen, and then maybe it’ll make change happen”

It will take real DoD development ie risk to evolve beyond the toy garbage being thrown at these ineptiphides. again who is running this asylum?



https://www.defensenews.com/pentago...Toverlay=2002c2d9-c344-4bbb-8610-e5794efcfa7d
 
Breaking: Anduril and General Atomics are selected to continue building the Air Force's first increment of Collaborative Combat Aircraft

https://twitter.com/x/status/1783239716436947236
View: https://x.com/beverstine/status/1783239716436947236
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The two companies beat Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for the program. A production decision is expected in FY2026
https://twitter.com/x/status/1783239892534689792
View: https://x.com/beverstine/status/1783239892534689792
https://x.com/beverstine/status/1783239892534689792
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The award is a huge win for up-start Anduril. GA-ASI has a long track record of providing uncrewed systems for the Air Force. Boeing/LH/NG are able to compete for the upcoming second increment
https://twitter.com/x/status/1783240993287893481
View: https://x.com/beverstine/status/1783240993287893481
https://x.com/beverstine/status/1783240993287893481
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GA-ASI says its CCA design is based on its XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station it developed for AFRL
https://twitter.com/x/status/1783250228612669443
View: https://x.com/beverstine/status/1783250228612669443
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I’m a little surprised at Anduril making this cut. They are really punching above their weight given the competition.
 
https://www.twz.com/air/general-ato...n-collaborative-combat-aircraft-drone-program

Josh_TN said:
I’m a little surprised at Anduril making this cut. They are really punching above their weight given the competition.
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Honestly, me too. Their offer seemed inferior, although I do't have much info on what it really was. And they haven't rolled the drone out yet, have they?

It's nice to see some kind of competition for a change.

2024_Fury-Painting-scaled.jpg
 
I think our DoD really want to diversify. Keeps the fund flowing for the smaller companies knowing that the big boys will internally fund to keep competitive edge for Increment 2
 
donnage99 said:
I think our DoD really want to diversify. Keeps the fund flowing for the smaller companies knowing that the big boys will internally fund to keep competitive edge for Increment 2
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I agree, but there are other increments to the CCA buy and USAF has been clear that it will on ramp other manufacturers at the drop of a hat. Anduril must of actually had an impressive product or process to make the cut, given their size. Kratos was not even one of the original five despite being a OSINT favorite to be involved, and both the USAF and Kratos say that they will be involved in Incr 2.

But yes, broadly the CCA program seems to be somewhat concerned with increasing production and capacity of lower end non prime (or previously non prime) companies. For that matter, the proliferated warfighter constellation (they really need a much better name for that) also seems to be spreading their contracts across non traditional companies as a way to generate more production in the short term and grow the industry's production capacity in the long term. I am a fan. Anduril might have shown enough promise that someone decided to grow the business for the sake of future contracts.
 
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It looks like increment 1 was defined more by what could be designed and produced the quickest, which I applaud. I think this is GAs to lose; they seem to be on the inside track with the XQ-67. Interesting that Incr2 was going to be a larger and more bespoke model until wargames seemed to imply this was the wrong direction. I am aware of two public wargames that identified a similar trend, though I forgot the organizations that hosted them. But in both cases the blue team went in overwhelmingly for the largest number of the most simply CCAs (and other UAVs/decoys).
 
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I always thought Switchblade series was overrated and at this point dated. It is still a man in the loop system, as far as I know, and as such is still vulnerable to ECM. But I suppose short term it does have the advantage of mass production right now, which is one of the things Replicator is specifically attempting to achieve. It does at least seem superior to the Lancet in most every way, outside being significantly heavier and probably more expensive (but apparently less than Javelin).

The PRIME contract is far more interesting to me. This looks like an effort to duplicate the Ukraine's success with remote operated USVs in the Black Sea, which probably would have a lot of application in the Western Pacific.
 
interestingly there is a balloon released/parachute sailing component that looks similar to GA-ASI Eaglet

1720859894897.png

Makes you wonder if the Chinese one shot down recently, was not, also, a drone carrier.
 
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https://www.defensenews.com/air/202...shun-fixed-price-contracts-for-drone-wingmen/
The Air Force wants to create a fleet of autonomous drones known as Collaborative Combat Aircraft to fly alongside F-35s and the future Next Generation Air Dominance fighter. The service is now planning to create a fleet of about 1,000 CCAs to carry out a variety of missions including conducting airstrikes, jamming enemy signals, gathering intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and serving as decoys in combat.

In April, the Air Force awarded contracts to Anduril and General Atomics to design and build the first round of CCAs. A second wave, or as the Air Force calls it, “Increment 2,” will follow, and Boeing plans to bid on it unless it means agreeing to a fixed-price contract.
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