Singapore Airshow 2026: CCA manufacturers eye growing opportunities in Asia-Pacific
Boeing’s MQ-28 programme director cautioned that countries which are slow to begin studying CCA risk falling behind. (Photo: Australia Department of Defence)
Companies offering collaborative combat aircraft say there is a massive potential for countries adopting the capability in the Asia-Pacific region.
Developments in collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), also known as ‘loyal wingmen’, are progressing at a rapid pace.
Both offerings for the US Air Force’s (USAF) CCA programme – the General Atomics (GA-ASI) YFQ-42A and Anduril’s YFQ-44A – conducted their first flights in 2025. In the same year, Bayraktar’s Kızılelma uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV) and Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat also carried out air-to-air missile firing tests.
A growing number of air forces in the Asia-Pacific region are expected to study CCA programmes to assess how they could leverage the affordability of loyal wingmen – often cited as costing a fraction of fifth-generation fighters
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