CCA는 '미사일 트럭' 역할을 할 때가 제일 효율적

[위종민]

GA와 안두릴이 CCA 1차 계약분 선정을 두고 경쟁중인데, 9월 18일 미공군의 조세프 쿤켈 소장이 가장 효과가 좋았던 CCA는 미사일 트럭 버전이었다고 말했네요. F-22나 F-35의 부족한 탑재능력을 보완해준다고 합니다. 공대공 버전 CCA가 미공군이 전장을 지배하는 데 도움이 될 수 있다고도 말했네요. 

AIM-120의 제작사인 레이시온도 GA 및 안두릴과 CCA 프로토타입에 암람을 통합하기 위해 협업하고 있다고 합니다. 

그 외에 무인 공중급유기능도 또 다른 가능성있는 임무로 제안되고 있다고 합니다. 보잉이 MQ-25 스팅레이 무인급유기의 대형화된 버전을 개발중이라고 합니다. 

USAF's first autonomous combat jets could act as ‘missile trucks’ for crewed fighters | News | Flight Global

USAF's first autonomous combat jets could act as ‘missile trucks’ for crewed fighters

USAF's first autonomous combat jets could act as ‘missile trucks’ for crewed fighters

By 

Ryan Finnerty20 September 2024Save article

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The US Air Force (USAF) is closing in on selecting its first pilotless fighter jet, and now the service has revealed how it intends to use them.

Pentagon leaders envision fielding hundreds or thousands of so-called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) to bolster a conventional fighter fleet comprised of ageing aircraft and size-limited due to the staggering cost of developing and producing piloted fighters.

CCAs are intended to be less capable than Lockheed Martin F-35s or Boeing F-15EXs – but far cheaper and faster to assemble.

Two companies are competing for the inaugural CCA contract – uncrewed aircraft developer General Atomics and autonomy start-up Anduril. Both firms displayed full-scale models of their CCA prototypes at this month’s annual Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) conference near Washington DC.

Source: Lockheed Martin

The US Air Force plans to begin flight testing two prototype CCAs in the coming months, with one poised to become the service’s first autonomous fighter

Though the manufacturers have said little about their designs, the USAF is betting they represent the future of tactical aviation. Service officials say flight testing of prototypes will begin within one year, followed by a procurement decision within several years.

This week, USAF officials made clear what they expect from the next-generation aircraft.

“We looked at what had the most impact on the battlefield,” Major General Jospeh Kunkel, USAF director of force design and integration, said on 18 September. “The version of the CCA that had the most impact on the battlefield was, frankly, a missile truck.”

The concept of an airborne munitions “truck” is not new. It involves using less-capable aircraft to ferry large quantities of missiles or bombs aloft, where they can be fired. Such firepower could significantly expand the USAF’s capabilities, supplementing the limited missile-carrying capacity of its fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35 and F-22 fighters.

The USAF has explored using the ageing Fairchild Republic A-10 jet as a bomb truck, while General Atomics has worked on developing an experimental uncrewed missile carrier called LongShot.

Kunkel says air-to-air-oriented CCA could help the USAF “kinetically dominate the battlefield”. Recent statements from munitions supplier Raytheon align with that vision.

Source: General Atomics

General Atomics unveiled a scale model of its CCA concept at the 2024 Air & Space Forces Association conference

Jon Norman, the company’s vice-president of defence systems requirements, confirm‎s Raytheon has been working with Anduril and General Atomics to integrate the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missile with CCA prototypes.

“They’re integrating that onto Block 1,” he said on 10 September, referencing the programme’s inaugural tranche of aircraft.

The focus on air-to-air missions for the autonomous fighter programme ends speculation that the USAF might select less-complex tasks, such as communication retransmissions or reconnaissance, for the first batch of CCAs.

Service leaders say they will announce plans for the second increment of aircraft in the coming months. Kunkel notes these or subsequent CCAs will likely see additional mission sets added to their brief, including electronic warfare, “resilient sensing” and a wider variety of weapons.

“Those, I’m certain, will be added,” he adds.

Another possibility is in-flight refuelling support. Boeing is already developing an autonomous light tanker for the US Navy in the form of the carrier-based MQ-25 Stingray, with work reportedly underway on designing a larger version for the USAF.

Source: Ryan Finnerty/FlightGlobal

Anduril also displayed a scale model of its Fury prototype at the 2024 Air & Space Forces Association conference

Evidence suggests the autonomous aircraft could change not just how the USAF fights, but also how its pilots engage.

Kunkel says that during simulated air combat engagements, USAF pilots pursued enemies more aggressively when teamed with CCAs.

“We take more risk with the tactics,” the two-star general and F-22 pilot says. “Things that we wouldn’t do with a [crewed] airplane… we’ll absolutely do with the CCA.”

Although the capabilities and cost of CCAs remains unclear, most USAF officials envision a platform that is cheap enough to be considered “attritable” – meaning not designed for long-term survival on the battlefield.

[Black Knights (윤재산)]

안두릴 퓨리는 내부무장창 배치가 어려워보이던데 내부무장창있는 기체 대비 어떤 점을 어필할지 애매하긴 합니다. 항속거리도 짧은 편이라

[백선호]

날개 아래에 미사일을 달아 RCS가 높긴 하겠지만 그래도 죽기 전에 다 쏠 것이고, 무엇보다도 싸다(!!!)를 강조하지 않을까 싶습니다.

유인 전투기가 직접 쏘는 것보다는 하여간 더 멀리서 쏠 수 있게 하고, 유인 전투기와 적기를 잇는 방위각이 아니라 다른 각도에서 미사일을 쏠 수 있도록 하는...

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/usaf-us-navy-6g-fighter-programs-f-a-xx-f-x-ngad-pca-asfs-news.3536/page-188#post-710813

[백선호]

대충 요런 상황을 바라는 것일라나요?

[김민석]

안두릴과 GA사의 CCA 제안이 크기, 페이로드, 성능 차이가 많이 나는데 최종후보 2안에 올라온 것을 보고 비판을 제기하는 분들도 있더라고요.