‘Loyal Wingman' concepts in Japan, Britain for GCAP support taking shape

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is developing two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) concepts for use alongside the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) aircraft. (Janes)

Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) under design in Japan and the United Kingdom to operate alongside the next-generation Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) aircraft are being developed for multimission capabilities, company spokespersons have said.

Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) unveiled two CCA (also known as ‘Loyal Wingman') concepts at the Japan International Aerospace Exhibition 2024 (JA2024) in October. BAE Systems, which is a lead systems integrator in the GCAP programme, has also revealed new imagery of its “Loyal Wingman” concept, which the company calls the Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP). ‘Loyal Wingman' programmes aim to potentially add combat mass to flights of manned fighter and attack aircraft.

MHI's programmes included a missile-like CCA designed for combat support, which the company has designated as the Affordable Rapid Prototype Missile Drone Concept 20X (ARMDC-20X). A second CCA concept is a high-performance tactical combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). An MHI spokesperson told Janes in November that this second concept does not yet have an official designation.

According toMHI, the ARMDC-20X is nearly 6 m long. The concept model displayed at JA2024 included a housing for an electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) in an under-chin position and a dorsal engine intake. The model also had a six-digit serial number (50-6001) that is associated with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF).

The second unnamed concept will be about 10 m long, the company has previously said. Janes understands that both CCA concepts are primarily being developed for combat, plus intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) roles.