ARLINGTON, VA. - The Department of the Air Force made the decision to continue funding Anduril and General Atomics for detailed designs, manufacture, and testing of production representative test articles under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

The companies not selected to build these production representative CCA vehicles, and execute the flight test program, will continue to be part of the broader industry partner vendor pool consisting of more than 20 companies to compete for future efforts, including future production contracts.

"Just over two years ago, we announced our intent, as part of our Operational Imperatives, to pursue collaborative combat aircraft. Now, following the enactment of the fiscal year 2024 budget, we're exercising option awards to two companies to construct production representative test articles. The progress we've made is a testament to the invaluable collaboration with industry, whose investment alongside the Air Force has propelled this initiative forward. It's truly encouraging to witness the rapid execution of this program," said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall.

The CCA program is part of the Next Generation Air Dominance Family of Systems, which is a DAF effort to equip the force with crewed and uncrewed platforms that can meet the pacing challenge.

"We executed an acquisition and funding strategy for CCA with early operator, technologist, acquirer, and industry teaming to quickly iterate requirements given our fielding timelines. Continuous competition is a cornerstone at every stage of this program. The transparency and teamwork between industry and government really accelerated how quickly we could mature the CCA program," Kendall said.'

"As we navigate the next phase of CCA development, our collaboration with both current and potential industry partners remains pivotal. Their expertise, innovation, and resources are instrumental in driving this initiative forward, ensuring its success and impact on future operations," said Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Andrew Hunter.

The DAF is on track to make a competitive production decision for the first increment of CCA in fiscal year 2026 and field a fully operational capability before the end of the decade. The DAF's option exercise decision does not exclude any of the vendors from competing for the future Increment 1 production contract.

The DAF is exploring international partnerships, to include potential Foreign Military Sales, as part of the CCA program. These partnerships will help provide further affordable mass at scale while driving horizontal integration and interoperability across our international partnerships.

Planning for CCA Increment 2 development is also ongoing, with initial activities starting later this year. All current and potential future industry partners from the CCA vendor pool will compete for this follow-on effort.

The CCA program aims to deliver at least 1,000 CCAs, prioritizing cost-effective scalability. With air superiority pivotal to America's military dominance for more than 70 years, CCA offers expanded fighter capacity (affordable mass) at reduced costs and adaptable timelines.

Source: U.S. Air Force
Associated URL: https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3754980/air-force-exercises-two-collaborative-combat-aircraft-option-awards/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CJust%20over%20two%20years%20ago,construct%20production%20representative%20test%20articles.

BETHESDA, Md. - F-35 deliveries will restart later this year after Lockheed Martin reported no shipments during quarter one of 2024. Delivery delays continue plaguing the program due to software issues related to the Technical Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrade.

Last summer, the Pentagon began refusing delivery of F-35s with the TR-3 modification because of a lack of suitable flight testing on the software. F-35 customers Belgium and Denmark followed suit pending correction of the TR-3 issue.

When Lockheed Martin resumes F-35 fighter deliveries in the latter half of 2024, the aircraft will include an interim "combat training-capable" software standard representing 95 percent of the full software load. Fully combat-capable jets will be available sometime in 2025.

The company projects deliveries of between 75 and 110 F-35 aircraft in 2024. The slow production start to 2024 continues from the previous year after Lockheed Martin delivered 98 total F-35s, its lowest shipment amount in the past several years.

Source: Flight Global
Associated URL: https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/f-35-deliveries-set-for-third-quarter-resumption-in-interim-combat-training-standard-lockheed-says/157944.article
Author: Craig Hoyle 

SANDY HOOK, Conn. -- Electra.aero, a developer of hybrid-electric, short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to explore the use of Electra’s eSTOL aircraft as a next-generation aviation solution for logistics in a contested environment.

Electra will collaborate closely with Navy stakeholders to pinpoint specific needs within the realm of "contested logistics." This term refers to the often-daunting task of transporting military personnel and materiel to and from hard-to-reach or hostile areas. Through a comprehensive conceptual design study, the project aims to assess how Electra’s innovative hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft can bridge these capability gaps for the Navy.

The company’s technology demonstrator can operate as a contested logistics platform with ground rolls as short as 150 feet. Electra’s production aircraft will carry 9 passengers or 2,500 pounds of cargo up to 500 miles. Additionally, the hybrid-electric design promises reduced fuel consumption and emissions, making the new aircraft a sustainable solution for decarbonizing aviation operations.

"Electra’s eSTOL has all the right technology-enabled capabilities to help the Navy address next-generation aviation logistics challenges," said Ben Marchionna, Electra’s Director of Technology and Innovation. "With our differentiated combination of hybrid-electric propulsion and a blown fixed wing, we can offer Pacific theater-relevant payloads and ranges, and the ability to operate from rough soccer field-sized spaces as well as many naval vessels and adjacent assets, all from day one. Beyond boilerplate tactical logistics use cases, we also see this airplane as an enabler for expeditionary power generation, mesh networking, and even as an essential node for Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) employment."

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://flightplan.forecastinternational.com/2024/04/24/electra-takes-flight-with-u-s-navy-for-next-gen-estol-logistics-aircraft/