Overview
- General Atomics said it received a U.S. Navy contract to produce conceptual designs for a carrier-suitable Collaborative Combat Aircraft, without disclosing value or timing.
- The company is pitching its Gambit architecture with a common core and interchangeable planforms, including a ship-oriented Gambit 5 concept informed by Mojave shipboard trials.
- Reporting indicates Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop are working Navy CCA concepts and that Lockheed Martin is developing a common control system, though the Navy has not officially confirmed those awards.
- Navy requirements call for a dual-role aircraft for air-to-air and strike missions, with leaders planning to leverage Air Force CCA technology as GA’s Air Force jet began flight testing in August and Anduril signaled near-term flights.
- Industry sources link the Navy’s public quiet to the F/A-XX fighter decision as Reuters reports the program is moving forward and Senate appropriators proposed about $1.4 billion for it in fiscal 2026.