Majority of CCA Spending in FY-26 Relies on Reconciliation; Air Force RDT&E Sees Big Bump

Majority of CCA spending in FY-26 relies on reconciliation; Air Force RDT&E sees big bump

A not-yet-approved budget reconciliation bill accounts for an overwhelming majority of planned research and development spending for the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program in fiscal year 2026, according to budget request documents obtained by Inside Defense. The Air Force is seeking $789.4 million to continue designing and evaluating variations of drone wingmen intended to escort fighter jets into battle en masse, the research, de…

Pentagon’s 2026 budget plan includes more than $4B for next-generation Air Force fighter jets

The Defense Department plans to allocate more than $4 billion in fiscal 2026 to fund development of the Air Force’s F-47 fighter jet and Collaborative Combat Aircraft, senior Pentagon officials told lawmakers Tuesday. The Trump administration announced in April that it awarded a contract to Boeing to build the F-47, a sixth-generation platform that’s part of the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance initiative. Officials haven’t publicly dis…