The U.S. Air Force is focusing on system quality and resilience more than system numbers and lethality, as the service requests a record $49.2 billion in research and development in fiscal 2023 and tries to narrow its R&D to initiatives that show near-term fielding promise, such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) autonomous drones to enhance the features of manned planes, like the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A, the Northrop Grumman [NOC] B-21 Raider stealth bomber, and the Next Generation Air Dominance…
