> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.battlepolicy.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Navy Sets $30 Million Ceiling for Carrier Combat Drone - URL: https://www.battlepolicy.com/navy-sets-30-million-ceiling-for-carrier-combat-drone/ - Published: 2026-09-02T04:00:24.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-02T04:00:24.000Z - Description: The service wants two prototypes that can survive catapult launches, arrested landings and Sea State 5 within a three-year certification sprint. - Author: Marcus Schuler - Tags: USA, Autonomy, #daily-brief, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Anduril, General Atomics, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin *The service wants two prototypes that can survive catapult launches, arrested landings and Sea State 5 within a three-year certification sprint.* Naval Air Systems Command issued a Request for Information on Aug. 31 for the Navy's carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, [Defense News reported](https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2026/09/01/us-navy-unveils-new-specs-for-carrier-based-collaborative-combat-aircraft/?ref=battlepolicy.com). The request seeks two prototypes, sets a Sept. 18 response deadline and establishes the program's first detailed carrier requirements. The RFI caps unit cost at $30 million. That doubles the roughly $15 million target Navy officials floated in 2024\. It also requires an aircraft capable of carrying four externally mounted weapons weighing up to 2,500 pounds each through the full flight envelope, including carrier certification flights. Frequently Asked Questions What did the Navy just release? A Request for Information issued Aug. 31 by Naval Air Systems Command, laying out the first detailed carrier-specific requirements for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, per Defense News. Industry responses are due Sept. 18. How much does the Navy want each aircraft to cost? No more than $30 million per unit, according to the RFI. That is double the roughly $15 million target Navy officials had floated in 2024. What can the aircraft carry, and how must it operate from a carrier? Up to four externally mounted weapons of up to 2,500 pounds each, per the RFI. It must launch by catapult and make arrested landings on Ford- and Nimitz-class carriers through Sea State 5 (waves up to 13 feet), with a deck and hangar footprint no larger than a fourth-generation fighter. What is the development timeline? Tectonic Defense reported the Navy wants a mission-capable prototype within six months of contract award, a "platform in a box" by month 12, first flight at month 24, and full shore-based carrier certification by the end of year three. How will the Navy pay for it? Through Other Transaction Authority awards structured as a resource-sharing arrangement, per Tectonic Defense, requiring contractors to put up significant financial investment alongside government in-kind contributions rather than a traditional cost-plus contract. Which companies are already involved? Anduril, General Atomics, Boeing and Northrop Grumman received concept-design contracts for carrier-capable CCAs in September 2025, with Lockheed Martin building the common command-and-control system. Those earlier contracts carried few carrier-specific requirements; the new RFI is the first hard spec sheet. AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. [More on our AI guidelines](https://www.battlepolicy.com/ai-guidelines/). Below this point 6 more sections. The aircraft must launch by catapult and make arrested landings aboard Ford- and Nimitz-class carriers through Sea State 5, when waves can reach 13 feet. Its deck and hangar footprint cannot exceed that of a fourth-generation fighter, the document states. The Navy also wants launch, recovery and deck handling under emissions-control conditions without extra support equipment or flight-deck personnel. Existing carrier air wing personnel would operate the aircraft through the MD-5 Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System, which already controls the [MQ-25 Stingray](https://www.battlepolicy.com/mq-25-stingray/). The schedule compresses carrier qualification into three years. [Tectonic Defense reported](https://www.tectonicdefense.com/navy-issues-rfi-for-its-cca-program/?ref=battlepolicy.com) a mission-capable prototype within six months of award, a "platform in a box" by month 12, first flight at month 24 and full shore-based carrier certification by the end of year three. The Navy expects to use Other Transaction Authority awards with significant contractor investment alongside government in-kind contributions, Tectonic Defense disclosed. That structure shifts part of the development risk onto bidders rather than funding the effort through a traditional cost-plus contract. Anduril, General Atomics, Boeing and Northrop Grumman received carrier CCA concept-design contracts in September 2025, while Lockheed Martin took the common command-and-control work. Those contracts carried few public carrier-specific requirements. The new RFI makes catapult loads, arrested-landing certification, constrained deck space and emissions-controlled operations measurable barriers to entry. Those barriers now define the market contest. A flying autonomous demonstrator is insufficient if it cannot fit the carrier, survive recovery or operate with the crew and control system already aboard. Responses are due Sept. 18, starting the Navy's three-year clock toward shore-based carrier certification.