{"id":19221027,"date":"2026-09-02T10:56:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T08:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/navy-cca-rfi-carrier-combat-drone-x-47b-ucav-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T08:44:47","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T06:44:47","slug":"navy-cca-rfi-carrier-combat-drone-x-47b-ucav-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/navy-cca-rfi-carrier-combat-drone-x-47b-ucav-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Navy CCA RFI: The Service Wants Its X-47B Combat Drone Back"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background .15s,color 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This week the service quietly admitted it wants that aircraft back.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">On August 31, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued a Request for Information for a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Increment 1 prototype. Buried in the paperwork is a wish list so demanding that it reads less like a cheap \"loyal wingman\" and more like the heavy, long-range, stealthy uncrewed combat aircraft the Navy famously demonstrated with the X-47B, then cancelled.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The requirements point to a carrier drone that can strike deep into defended airspace, carry a fighter-sized weapons load, and fly the whole mission \u2014 catapult to arrested landing \u2014 on its own. In other words, the capability the Navy tore up in the mid-2010s and replaced with a flying gas station.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f5f5f5;padding:20px;border-radius:8px;margin:24px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:18px\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:20px;line-height:1.8\"><li><strong>What:<\/strong> NAVAIR RFI for a carrier-based CCA Increment 1 prototype<\/li><li><strong>Issued:<\/strong> August 31, 2026 &mdash; responses due September 18, 2026<\/li><li><strong>Weapons:<\/strong> four external stores up to 2,500 lb each (about 10,000 lb), plus internal carriage under study<\/li><li><strong>Carrier ops:<\/strong> catapult launch and arrested recovery from both <em>Ford<\/em> and <em>Nimitz<\/em> class carriers<\/li><li><strong>Endurance:<\/strong> at least 30 minutes on station with reserves to recover aboard<\/li><li><strong>Schedule:<\/strong> first flight within 24 months of award; carrier certification inside a three-year effort<\/li><li><strong>Target price:<\/strong> around $30 million per aircraft<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A wish list that looks a lot like a UCAV<\/h2><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The most striking line concerns firepower. The Navy says the Increment 1 CCA must be able to carry four externally mounted weapons weighing up to 2,500 pounds each throughout the flight envelope and during carrier certification. That is a potential external load of 10,000 pounds &mdash; not a normal loadout, but a benchmark. For comparison, a very heavily armed <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/fa-18-super-hornet\/\">F\/A-18E\/F Super Hornet<\/a> might launch with close to 17,000 pounds of stores, and that is far from routine.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">Put that next to the U.S. Air Force CCAs now in production &mdash; the General Atomics YFQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A Fury &mdash; which are air-to-air machines expected to fly with a pair of AIM-120 AMRAAMs. The Navy is asking for something in a different weight class entirely.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The RFI also asks industry to address internal weapons carriage, weighing both capacity and survivability. Internal bays mean a smaller radar signature and cleaner aerodynamics &mdash; a strong hint that the Navy wants a low-observable, survivable design able to push into \"highly contested\" airspace. That is the definition of an uncrewed combat air vehicle, not a budget wingman.<\/p>\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/mq-25-stingray-takeoff.jpg\" alt=\"Boeing MQ-25 Stingray test aircraft\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block;border-radius:6px\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The Boeing MQ-25 Stingray tanker &mdash; the aircraft the Navy got after cancelling its carrier UCAV ambitions. Photo: U.S. Navy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The ghost of the X-47B<\/h2><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">This is where the story turns. In the early 2010s Northrop Grumman built two <strong>X-47B<\/strong> demonstrators. They flew from 2011 for roughly half a decade, catapulting from and trapping aboard a carrier and even conducting autonomous aerial refuelling &mdash; feats no other uncrewed jet had managed at sea. As of 2022, both airframes were earmarked for museums.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The follow-on UCLASS program was meant to turn that breakthrough into a fielded aircraft. Instead it was gutted and rebranded as a tanker effort, which produced the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-35-lightning-ii\/\">F-35C<\/a>-supporting MQ-25 Stingray. Many in naval aviation still regard scrapping the combat-drone plan as one of the most short-sighted procurement decisions in the service's modern history.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;It looks like the Navy is asking whether industry can finally make good on the past promise of a U.S. Navy UCAV.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Thomas Newdick &amp; Tyler Rogoway<\/strong> &mdash; TWZ, September 1, 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The new RFI does not name a maximum range, but the payload and Pacific-focused thinking behind it imply a very long reach. A separate July notice tied to the Navy's \"Air Wing of the Future\" called for carrier drones able to strike targets at least 1,000 nautical miles away without refuelling. Advanced UCAVs typically measure their combat radius in thousands of miles &mdash; far beyond a crewed fighter.<\/p><h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why now<\/h2><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The urgency has a name: China. Beijing is moving fast on stealthy uncrewed combat aircraft, and one of them &mdash; the GJ-11 Sharp Sword &mdash; is mature and being navalised for carrier decks. Its described traits, independent operation, teaming with crewed jets, size and survivability, map almost point-for-point onto the Navy's new wish list.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">The Navy wants a prototype flying within 24 months of a contract award, carrier certification inside a three-year effort, and a price around $30 million per aircraft &mdash; double the roughly $15 million \"attritable\" target it floated in 2024, but still a fraction of a crewed carrier fighter. Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics and Northrop Grumman already hold conceptual CCA contracts; Lockheed Martin is building the control architecture.<\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\">An RFI is only the opening move. But after a decade of second-guessing, the message is hard to miss: the Navy is asking whether industry can finally deliver the carrier combat drone it once had in its hands &mdash; and let go.<\/p>\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q0iiNHWYZus\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;border-radius:8px\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\"><em>The clip above, from Collins Aerospace, offers a notional look at how carrier- and land-based collaborative drones might one day fight alongside crewed aircraft.<\/em><\/p><p style=\"margin:0 0 18px\"><em>Sources: TWZ (Thomas Newdick &amp; Tyler Rogoway, Sep 1, 2026); NAVAIR Request for Information via SAM.gov; U.S. Navy.<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What did the US Navy ask for in its CCA request?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">On 31 August 2026 Naval Air Systems Command issued a Request for Information for a carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 1 prototype, with responses due 18 September 2026. The requirements describe a heavy, long-range, stealthy uncrewed combat aircraft rather than a cheap loyal wingman.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How is this related to the X-47B?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Closely. Ten years ago the Navy had a stealthy carrier-capable combat drone flying from a supercarrier in the X-47B, then cancelled it in favour of the MQ-25 tanker. The new requirements point back toward the capability the service gave up.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What weapons load is required?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Four externally mounted stores of up to 2,500 lb each, around 10,000 lb in total, carried throughout the flight envelope and during carrier certification, with internal carriage also under study.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Does it have to operate from carriers autonomously?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. The aircraft must handle catapult launch and arrested recovery from both Ford and Nimitz class carriers, flying the whole mission from catapult to arrested landing on its own.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the schedule and target cost?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">First flight within 24 months of award, carrier certification inside a three-year effort, and a target price of around $30 million per aircraft.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What did the US Navy ask for in its CCA request?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"On 31 August 2026 Naval Air Systems Command issued a Request for Information for a carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 1 prototype, with responses due 18 September 2026. The requirements describe a heavy, long-range, stealthy uncrewed combat aircraft rather than a cheap loyal wingman.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How is this related to the X-47B?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Closely. Ten years ago the Navy had a stealthy carrier-capable combat drone flying from a supercarrier in the X-47B, then cancelled it in favour of the MQ-25 tanker. The new requirements point back toward the capability the service gave up.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What weapons load is required?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Four externally mounted stores of up to 2,500 lb each, around 10,000 lb in total, carried throughout the flight envelope and during carrier certification, with internal carriage also under study.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Does it have to operate from carriers autonomously?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. The aircraft must handle catapult launch and arrested recovery from both Ford and Nimitz class carriers, flying the whole mission from catapult to arrested landing on its own.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the schedule and target cost?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"First flight within 24 months of award, carrier certification inside a three-year effort, and a target price of around $30 million per aircraft.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px;border-radius:0 8px 8px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fa-xx-navy-sixth-gen-fighter-boeing-northrop-2026\/\">F\/A-XX: Boeing or Northrop for the Navy's Sixth-Gen Fighter?<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/altius-700-black-hawk-rocket-launch-anduril-project-convergence-2026\/\">Altius-700: A Black Hawk Rocket-Launches Anduril's Drone<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story Ten years ago the U.S. Navy had a stealthy, carrier-capable combat drone flying off the deck of a supercarrier \u2014 and then it walked away from it. This week the service quietly admitted it wants that aircraft back. On August 31, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued a Request for Information for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":19220707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19221027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Navy CCA RFI: The X-47B Combat Drone Returns | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Navy\u2019s new CCA RFI describes a stealthy, heavily-armed carrier combat drone \u2014 the X-47B UCAV capability it cancelled a decade ago.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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