Navy launches carrier-based loyal wingman search with three-year prototype timeline

The U.S. Navy has issued an RFI for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 1 program, seeking two carrier-capable autonomous wingman prototypes that can fly alongside manned fighters. The aggressive timeline targets shore-based carrier certification within three years of contract award, with a $30M unit cost target — one-third the price of an F-35 — positioning the Navy to join the Air Force and Marine Corps in fielding loyal wingman systems by decade's end.

Naval Air Systems Command issued an RFI Monday calling for two fully functional autonomous air vehicles capable of operating from Ford and Nimitz-class carriers. The Navy wants first flight within two years of contract award and full carrier certification by the end of a three-year prototype phase. Responses are due September 18.

The requirement is specific: prototypes must handle catapult takeoffs and arrested landings, integrate with the Navy's MD-5 Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (used for the MQ-25 Stingray), and carry four externally mounted weapons up to 2,500 pounds each. The Navy is asking for mature designs with a clear path to certification, not conceptual paper studies.

The Navy's CCA effort trails the Air Force, which awarded Increment 1 production to General Atomics and Anduril, and the Marine Corps, which tapped Northrop Grumman and Kratos. All three services operate under a collaborative agreement ensuring standardized components across domain-specific platforms. The Navy has worked with General Atomics on carrier-based conceptual designs since October 2025.

At $30M per unit, the Navy's target cost matches the Air Force's CCA budget and reflects DOD's broader bet on affordable mass in contested environments. The timeline is aggressive but aligns with the Pentagon's push to field manned-unmanned teaming capabilities before 2030. Carrier integration remains the Navy's unique challenge — no service has operationalized an autonomous loyal wingman from a carrier deck at scale.