US Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program Needs New Focus on HVAA Protection
- Published
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- BreakingDefense
The U.S. Air Force's next-generation Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program must prioritize the protection of high-value airborne assets (HVAA) to ensure air superiority in potential conflicts with China. Current air combat strategies emphasize firepower but overlook the vulnerabilities of AEW and refueling aircraft, which are critical for modern warfare.
As the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) enhances its capabilities, the U.S. risks falling behind if it does not adapt its approach. The Air Force's traditional focus on fighter superiority may leave HVAA exposed, undermining long-range air-to-air kill chains and ceding advantages to the PLAAF. A shift towards integrating CCAs that can defend HVAA could mitigate these risks and enhance overall combat effectiveness.
Looking ahead, the Air Force's strategy must evolve to address the firepower-versus-protection dilemma. By developing CCAs that prioritize endurance and missile payloads for HVAA defense, the U.S. can better position itself against the growing threat from the PLAAF. No further timeline was disclosed at the time of publication.
Original report
To counter China, America’s next CCA needs a different mission
BreakingDefense · Greg MalandrinoThis briefing is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting and is provided for industry information and news discovery. The original report and source publication are credited and linked where applicable. RobotToday does not claim ownership of third-party source material.
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