WASHINGTON - The Pentagon plans to withdraw around 75 Special Operations forces from Chad soon, following a decision to also remove over 1,000 U.S. troops from Niger. This marks a significant shift in U.S. counterterrorism strategy in West and Central Africa, driven by local demands for renegotiated military cooperation terms. Chad and Niger's shift toward Russia for security ties and the pressure from their governments have influenced these decisions.

The withdrawal from Chad might be temporary, pending new agreements on the conditions under which U.S. forces operate. This comes amid concerns about increasing Russian influence in the region, including alleged plots involving Russian mercenaries and Chadian rebels. The U.S. remains committed to its security partnerships in the Sahel, aiming to address mutual security concerns and promote regional stability.

Source: The New York Times
Associated URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/25/us/politics/chad-us-troop-withdrawal.html

WASHINGTON - United States (US). officials will meet with the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP) in Niger to discuss the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces. Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon and Major General Kenneth Ekman will start discussions on April 25 in Niamey, followed by further meetings led by Assistant Secretary of Defense Christopher Maier and Lieutenant General Dag Anderson in the following week.

These talks aim for a transparent and mutually respectful withdrawal process. Despite ongoing discussions since July 2023, the US has not reached an agreement with CNSP to continue security cooperation. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell will also visit Niamey to discuss future bilateral collaborations. US State Department Spokesperson reaffirms that the US remains committed to supporting Niger in its fight against terrorism, economic development, and democratic transition.

Source: U.S. Department of State
Associated URL: https://www.state.gov/on-the-withdrawal-of-u-s-troops-from-niger/

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.