The US Navy has contracted General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) to develop conceptual designs for a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) for future carrier operations.

The new effort focuses on a modular platform that can be rapidly reconfigured, upgraded, and adapted to evolving mission needs, including operations from aircraft carriers. GA-ASI’s approach aligns with the navy’s revolutionary acquisition strategy, which emphasizes smaller, more frequent purchases that allow rapid technology insertion instead of traditional decades-long procurement cycles.