Some defense technologists believe that the U.S. Air Force's manned Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) sixth generation fighter, in order to survive a service-ordered review, will have to be smaller in design than now planned or offload requirements to unmanned, autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which may accompany or fly ahead of manned NGAD and the F-35 on counterair missions. Such CCAs are to adapt on the fly. The effort to gain air superiority in a future conflict against an…
