US Air Force drone wingmen to get own squadrons, chief nominee says
By Stephen Losey
Thursday, Oct 9, 2025
The U.S. Air Force plans to create independent squadrons for its future fleet of collaborative combat aircraft instead of adding the drone wingmen to already-existing squadrons of manned fighters.
Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the nominee to be the service’s next chief of staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing Thursday the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard also may stand up their own CCA squadrons, along with the active duty.
Collaborative combat aircraft are semi-autonomous drone wingmen that the Air Force wants to fly alongside manned fighters, such as the F-35 and the in-the-works F-47, a sixth-generation fighter that Boeing will build.
The Air Force wants CCAs to carry out strikes, conduct reconnaissance missions, jam enemy signals or even serve as drones to lure enemy fire away from the piloted fighters. With pilots and aircraft limited, the Air Force sees CCAs as a so-called “force multiplier” that can expand its ability to accomplish missions without putting more people at risk — and at a lower cost.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2025/10/09/us-air-force-drone-wingmen-to-get-own-squadrons-chief-nominee-says/
