Keys further said he doesn’t foresee a “train wreck” in tactical forces, where large numbers of airplanes must retire before the new ones arrive, although “there’s always an opportunity for a train wreck to happen” if a huge technical problem grounds a fleet. Keys said he’s willing to trade “a little risk” in the form of a short-term drop in fighter tails, if it means he can get the F/A-22 and F-35 on schedule. Keys added that the Air Force will have enough warning to take steps to keep the fighter fleet viable a while longer, but the cost would be unappetizing. When they come on line, the F/A-22 and F-35 will rapidly overcome any capability lost to a shortage of tails, he said.
The Air Force has selected Collins Aerospace and Shield AI to develop the software Collaborative Combat Aircraft will use to fly missions alongside manned fighters, the service revealed Feb. 12—and drone-maker General Atomics was quick to announce it has already flown its YFQ-42A aircraft with Collins’ system.
