Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Small Combat Drone Engines Begin Ground Tests
Major engine manufacturers look to power collaborative combat aircraft
Pratt & Whitney CCA small engine
Pratt & Whitney is developing a new family of small engines for drones, collaborative combat aircraft, and munitions. © RTX

To help fulfill the U.S. Air Force’s need for collaborative combat aircraft (CCA)—next-generation “loyal wingman” drones that can collaborate with crewed military jets—major engine manufacturers have set their sights on a new class of small, affordable engines for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). Engine manufacturers highlighted their new CCA offerings last month during the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. 

On September 22, Pratt & Whitney revealed plans to develop a portfolio of small turbofan engines with thrust ranging from 500 to 1,800 pounds. Two days later, the company announced that it had completed critical tests, confirming that the small turbofan engines—derived from commercial aircraft engines—can produce sufficient thrust for use on CCA platforms.