Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 1 prototype project

1.0 general information & disclaimer

This request for information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. The government may use the information received to inform a potential prototype project under other transaction authority (OTA), pursuant to 10 u.s.c. § 4022. This announcement does not constitute a commitment by the government. All information submitted in response to this RFI is voluntary and the government will not compensate any respondent for any cost incurred in development of information provided to the government.

This RFI is being used as a market research tool to determine potential firms capable of providing the supplies described herein prior to an issuance of a request for white papers (RWP) and subsequent request for project proposal (RPP). The government is not obligated to pay for any information received from potential sources as a result of this RFI. This does not constitute a solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment by the government of any kind. Responses in any form are not offers and the government is under no obligation to award a contract or non-far based agreement (e.g. Other transaction) as a result of this announcement. No funds are available to pay for preparation of responses to this announcement.

Any information submitted by respondents in response to this RFI is strictly voluntary. Failure to submit a response will not prevent a company from participation in any future competition related to this requirement.

Classification of responses: all submitted information provided must be unclassified. Any proprietary information submitted must be clearly marked as such and will be safeguarded in accordance with applicable government regulations. Any information submitted may be reviewed and used across the government.

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), on behalf of the Future Advanced Capability Program Office (PMA-228), is seeking industry feedback and capability statements for the Increment 1 (Inc 1) Prototype Development and Demonstration of an affordable, highly capable, risk tolerant, carrier-capable, weaponized, extended range, autonomous unmanned air vehicle that can seamlessly deploy from and recover to Gerald R. Ford-class and Nimitz-class Nuclear Aircraft Carriers (CVN).

The Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program was established to provide the Carrier Air Wing (CVW) with lethal, survivable and persistent, versatile platforms capable of operating directly from the sea. As threat networks grow increasingly complex, the Navy must adapt combat strategies by focusing on collaborative manned-unmanned operations, modular open standards, and rapid, cost-effective prototyping. PMA-228, operating under Deputy Portfolio Acquisition Executive (Aviation) Carrier Strike, seeks to execute this carrier-compliant autonomous unmanned air vehicle Inc 1 prototype development and demonstration to significantly reduce technical risk and accelerate capability delivery to the fleet.

This prototyping effort addresses key risk reduction activities to evaluate platforms with extended range and payload capacity, while minimizing deck footprint and integrating with established CVN infrastructure. Additionally, it paves the way to provide a future capability to augment 4th and 5th generation aircraft survivability, lethality, and capacity and developing future warfighting capabilities through collaborative Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) to ensure the Navy maintains a decisive edge against adversaries.

The Government is considering utilizing the Naval Air Systems Consortium (NASC) to potentially award one or more OTAs pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 4022 “Authority of the Department of Defense to carry out certain prototype projects”.

UPDATE 9/18/2026:

The purpose of this update is to notify industry partners and prospective offerors that the CCA Increment 1 Industry Day, originally scheduled for 22 September 2026 at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland (USMSM), has been postponed. The Government anticipates announcing the rescheduled date and updated registration instructions in the coming weeks. Interested parties are advised to continuously monitor this posting on SAM.gov for subsequent announcements, updated registration information, one-on-one session guidelines, and draft documentation.

If you made non-refundable or flexible travel arrangements, please contact your travel providers immediately. The Government is not liable for and cannot reimburse any costs associated with travel reservations, administrative preparations, or schedule adjustments.

Please note that this event postponement does not impact or extend the Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 1 Prototype Project Request for Information (RFI) (N00019-27-RFI-PMA228-CCA) submission deadline.