Skip to content
My AFA Account Search
My AFA Search
  • News
    • News Home
    • Air
    • Space
    • Personnel
    • National Security
    • Joint Training
    • Electronic Warfare
    • Technology
    • Budget
  • Daily Report
    • Today’s Report
    • Airframe
    • Subscribe!
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Back Issues
    • Almanac
    • Get The Magazine
  • History Home
    • Chronology: History of Airpower
    • Valor
    • Namesakes
  • About Us
    • About Us Home
    • Our Staff & Products
    • Join AFA
    • Advertise with Us
    • Contact Us
    • Reuse and Reprint Permission
  • Weapons & Platforms
  • 2026 Budget
Get the Daily Report
Close Image

Maj. Gen. Joseph D. Kunkel

New Study: Air Force Needs to Work Now on How to Sustain CCAs in the Field

May 8, 2025 | By John A. Tirpak
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.

Air Force Futures Boss Leans Toward ‘Low End’ CCA in Next Increment

April 24, 2025 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force is leaning toward a less-sophisticated autonomous aircraft in the second increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the services chief futurist said. He also suggested that the next increment of CCA may be air-launched, a la the "Rapid Dragon" experiments conducted by the ...

What a ‘Ferrari’ Version of the F-35 Might Look Like—and What the Pentagon Thinks

April 24, 2025 | By John A. Tirpak
Lockheed Martin's suggestion to upgrade the F-35 with technologies developed for the F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter could come in a number of areas, several of which are already in hand.

CCA Logistics: How USAF and Industry Plan to Rise to the Challenge

March 5, 2025 | By Amanda Miller
This week’s revelation that the Air Force had designated its first uncrewed fighters set the stage for the makers of the two aircraft to talk about the logistics of deploying them to dispersed locations.

Air Superiority Is Still the Key to Winning. Achieving It Is Getting Harder

March 4, 2025 | By John A. Tirpak
The air superiority mission is rapidly evolving, and to succeed at it the Air Force needs to focus not just on new technologies but training, new concepts, non-kinetic methods and munitions, senior Air Force officials said.

Air Force Wargaming Chief Says New Fighter Makes Air Battle Easier To Win

Feb. 26, 2025 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force's wargaming chief, Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel, says the NGAD fighter would speed up victory in future fights with a peer adversary. He also said the Air Force is charting a course to a future force design that will integrate standoff, stand-in and ...

Now CCAs Can Do Things ‘We Didn’t Think Were Possible’

Jan. 28, 2025 | By Greg Hadley
The Air Force now believes a single manned fighter can control a larger number of drones than previously thought, and can do so using less-sophisticated autonomous technology, according to USAF's director of force design. 

CCA Drones Could Cost Less Than $1,200 per Pound—But Can They Get Sensors to Match?

Sept. 27, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force thinks Collaborative Combat Aircraft can be bought for as little as $1,200 per pound—about a third of the cost of crewed fighters—but mission equipment needs to be aligned to that lower price.
Sorry, no posts were found.

Latest News

Air Force Funds New External Pylons for B-1, Eyeing Loadout Gains and Hypersonic Testing

B-52s Escorted by Korean and Japanese Fighters as Defense Chiefs Meet

Lawmakers Push Space Force to Invest in New, Commercial Surveillance

House Makes Moves to Block Pentagon from Canceling E-7 Wedgetail

Space Force Unit that Tracked Iranian Missiles Earns New Honor 

Subscribe to the Daily Report

Get your daily fix of Air & Space Force news delivered right to your inbox every day. There's no more reliable source for news about your Air & Space Forces.

Subscribe Today
Listen to the latest
Aerospace Advantage Podcast
from the Mitchell Institute

Evolving Munitions for Tomorrow’s Fight: Industry Insights

Listen Now
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Daily Report
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe!
  • Air & Space Forces Association
  • Reuse and Reprint Permission
  • Privacy Policy

Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association, 1201 S. Joyce St., C6 / Second Fl., Arlington, Va., 22202. Copyright 2025

Subscribe to the
Air & Space Forces
Daily Report

The latest news from Air & Space Forces Magazine, as well as news from other leading publications, delivered right to your inbox every morning!

We’re sorry, there has been an error. Please review your input or try again later.
Thank you for subscribing
to the Daily Report!