House and Senate conferees working on the 2007 defense authorization bill have agreed to include money for the Army-Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft program, reports the Congressional newspaper The Hill. The Senate had voted to cut the funds, sparking dismay within the Army, which says it needs the aircraft sooner than does the Air Force. The funds were cut from the Army accounts, but sources told The Hill that conferees had put JCA dollars in the Air Force line. However, nothing is final yet.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design the Air Force said.