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Aviation Week • Brian Everstine

USAF awards production contracts for first Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet: GA-ASI FQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A

The U.S. Air Force awarded production contracts to General Atomics (GA-ASI) and Anduril for the first operational fleet of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), assigning GA-ASI to produce the YFQ-42A and Anduril to manufacture the YFQ-44A. The move transitions the program from prototype development to full-scale manufacturing of semi-autonomous loyal-wingman aircraft.

2026-06-17T14:21:04.826761-07:00

Skift

Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar: AI can accelerate the turnaround—but operations set the limits

2026-06-19T03:07:45.676771-07:00

Reuters

Space startups seek insurance coverage for orbital AI data centers

2026-06-18T09:20:37.220419-07:00

Wall Street Journal

US Air Force selects two industry partners for autonomous “drone jet fighter” program aimed at deep-strike support

2026-06-18T15:51:43.409866-07:00

News Timeline

Skift

Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar: AI can accelerate the turnaround—but operations set the limits Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar tells Skift that AI and innovation are central to the airline’s turnaround strategy, but he cautions that real-world operations determine how far “the machine” can go. The remarks frame AI adoption as disciplined, operationally grounded, and geared to execution rather than experiments.

2026-06-19T03:07:45.676771-07:00

Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar: AI can accelerate the turnaround—but operations set the limits

Skift

Air New Zealand's Tech-Savvy CEO on AI and the Limits of the Machine

2026-06-19T02:44:21.501168-07:00

Air New Zealand's Tech-Bred CE

Wall Street Journal

US Air Force selects two industry partners for autonomous “drone jet fighter” program aimed at deep-strike support The US Air Force has agreed to deals with two companies for a new generation of autonomous drone jet fighters designed to help manned warplanes strike targets deep in enemy territory. The initiative signals a move to accelerate uncrewed, mission-led capabilities to augment contested penetrations.

2026-06-18T15:51:43.409866-07:00

US Air Force selects two industry partners for autonomous “drone jet fighter” program aimed at deep-strike support

Reuters

Space startups seek insurance coverage for orbital AI data centers Space startups have begun discussions with insurers about coverage for orbital AI data centers, signaling early market movement from concept to deployable, risk-underwritten infrastructure. The outreach aligns with broader momentum behind on-orbit compute plans backed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

2026-06-18T09:20:37.220419-07:00

Space startups seek insurance coverage for orbital AI data centers

FlightGlobal

Shield AI nears X-Bat first flight with three initial test assets complete, targeting an end-2026 maiden sortie Shield AI says it has nearly completed the first three test assets for its X-Bat collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) programme. The company is building toward a first flight later this year, with a maiden sortie toward the end of 2026.

2026-06-18T09:01:10.923519-07:00

Shield AI nears X-Bat first flight with three initial test assets complete, targeting an end-2026 maiden sortie

FlightGlobal

Honeywell launches contested-environment navigation system for collaborative combat aircraft Honeywell Aerospace has announced a new navigation system tailored for collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs), designed to operate effectively in contested environments. The company says the system is smaller and more effective than existing equipment, targeting CCA mission needs as the platform moves toward operational fielding.

2026-06-18T00:02:31.041496-07:00

Honeywell launches contested-environment navigation system for collaborative combat aircraft

Aviation Today

US Air Force says 20+ eligible contenders remain for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Increment 2 The U.S. Air Force says that while it selected nine companies for CCA Increment 2 in February, more than 20 companies remain eligible for the program. The expanded eligibility pool signals a competitive, multi-vendor path for next-phase loyal-wingman development and autonomy integration.

2026-06-17T22:48:51.726705-07:00

US Air Force says 20+ eligible contenders remain for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Increment 2

Aviation Week

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USAF awards production contracts for first Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet: GA-ASI FQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A The U.S. Air Force awarded production contracts to General Atomics (GA-ASI) and Anduril for the first operational fleet of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), assigning GA-ASI to produce the YFQ-42A and Anduril to manufacture the YFQ-44A. The move transitions the program from prototype development to full-scale manufacturing of semi-autonomous loyal-wingman aircraft.

2026-06-17T14:21:04.826761-07:00

USAF awards production contracts for first Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet: GA-ASI FQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A

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AI News

USAF awards production contracts for first Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet: GA-ASI FQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A

Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar: AI can accelerate the turnaround—but operations set the limits

Space startups seek insurance coverage for orbital AI data centers

US Air Force selects two industry partners for autonomous “drone jet fighter” program aimed at deep-strike support

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