The Netherlands and the US Air Force (USAF) have formalized a partnership on Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), including plans to acquire prototypes as part of the program’s development.
The collaboration, which follows a signed letter of intent in October 2025, will focus on jointly developing platform-agnostic, open-architecture autonomous capabilities to enhance data sharing and interoperability in combined operations.
As the first European force to participate in the CCA program to develop, test, and integrate “loyal wingman” drones for F-35 operations, Amsterdam will learn with the USAF’s Experimental Operations Unit (EOU).
Headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, the EOU serves as a hub for developing concepts of operations and refining CCA autonomy through real-world experimentation, creating a feedback loop between operators and developers.
“CCA will fundamentally change how we project airpower. Working with trusted allies allows us to field these capabilities more effectively,” said Col. Timothy Helfrich, portfolio acquisition executive for fighters and advanced aircraft.
Drone Wingmen
CCA aims to develop autonomous or semi-autonomous drones to operate alongside crewed fighters such as the F-35 and F-22 as loyal wingmen, performing missions including strike, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare.
The drone prototypes under the CCA program’s first increment — General Atomics’ YFQ-42A and Anduril’s YFQ-44A — are undergoing developmental flight testing and early operational experimentation following their down-selection in 2024.
Initial operational fielding is expected by the end of the decade.