Two stealth F-22 Raptor fighters will become the first aerial controllers of the US Air Force’s future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, according to a report by TWZ.
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The implementation is expected to take place in the next fiscal year, while the service is already exploring the addition of tablet-based control systems and other relevant modifications.
The integration of CCA drones into the F-22 was mentioned in the US Air Force’s 2026 budget request. The line item titled “Manned Platform Integration Program” requests $15 million to continue the project.
Other sections of the Air Force’s budget documents state that the service currently has 143 combat-capable F-22s, with the rest of the total fleet of 185 jets assigned to training, testing, and evaluation tasks.
“The Manned Platform Integration Program will acquire and integrate kits for installation on the F-22, which will enable control of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) by the F-22,” states the proposed Air Force budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
“The acquisition effort includes, among other things, tablets, cables, and associated materials; activities related to system integration, assembly, testing, and verification; certification; integration of communications between aircraft and CCA; software updates; systems engineering; training; support equipment; and Program Support Costs (PSC).”
The documents also mention that of the $15 million requested, more than $12.2 million will be allocated to the purchase of 142 tablets and associated cabling. This means the unit cost of each of these installation kits would be approximately $86,000.
Photo and video: USAF. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
