The U.S. Navy has contracted GA-ASI to create a modular Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) that works on carriers. This will give the Navy an even bigger advantage in unmanned combat aircraft.
The U.S. Navy has given General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) a contract to come up with ideas for a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) that will help the future carrier air wing. The Navy's goal to smoothly combine modern unmanned technologies with its crewed aircraft is clear in the new design phase.
GA-ASI's approach is based on modularity, which means that platforms may be quickly changed or improved to meet changing mission needs. The Navy's new acquisition strategy prefers shorter, quicker procurement cycles over previous long-term programs. This design flexibility fits with that.
The company’s latest contract follows its recent success with the U.S. Air Force, where GA-ASI was selected to design and fly the first CCA prototype, the YFQ-42A. That aircraft, a production-representative unmanned fighter, began flight testing in August, marking a major milestone in the Pentagon’s push for collaborative unmanned combat systems.
“We’re honoured by the vote of confidence from the U.S. Navy and we’re eager to put what we’ve built to work for the future fleet,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “No one has more experience than we do with unmanned combat aircraft, and we’re leveraging that to help the Navy get this capability onto the flight deck fast.”
Collaborative Combat Aircraft are semi-autonomous, jet-powered drones designed to work alongside manned fighters. Produced in larger quantities and at lower cost, CCAs can undertake high-risk missions, expand sensor coverage, and enhance the strike capacity of carrier air wings without exposing pilots to danger.
GA-ASI has made all its recent unmanned combat platforms AMS-GRA compliant, including the XQ-67A, YFQ-42A and MQ-20 Avenger. The company’s XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station, developed under contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory, achieved its first flight in 2024.
At the Farnborough Air Show in 2024, GA-ASI showcased Gambit 5, a ship-based CCA concept forming part of its broader Gambit Series. The system envisions several variants built from a common “Gambit Core,” offering high component commonality for rapid, scalable production.
GA-ASI's sister company, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), is also in charge of making the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. These technologies have taken the place of older steam catapults aboard Ford-class carriers which makes it easier and faster to launch and retrieve both crewed and unmanned aircraft.
GA-ASI has also achieved several key milestones in carrier and naval operations. In 2023, its Mojave short take-off and landing demonstrator launched and recovered aboard the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales. A year later, Mojave took off from South Korea’s amphibious assault ship Dokdo and landed ashore—further proving the maturity of GA-ASI’s carrier-capable unmanned technology.
