The rise of 'attritable' aircraft: why losing a drone is now a strategy

Wars & Conflicts · Published 9 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Modern warfare is shifting toward manned-unmanned teaming, where drones act as expendable force multipliers. Unlike traditional remote-controlled craft, these 'loyal wingmen' use AI to fly in formation and execute independent commands. They are designed to be 'attritable'—cheap enough that losing them in combat is a calculated strategic choice.

The core philosophy of the loyal wingman is centered on survivability and capability extension. Instead of a pilot risking their life, a human command node directs a swarm or formation of uncrewed platforms into contested airspace. These drones perform high-risk roles such as extending sensor coverage beyond radar horizons, acting as decoys to draw fire, executing electronic warfare (EW) to jam communications, or serving as advanced weapons platforms for kinetic strikes.

Cost is the primary driver of this shift. The US Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program aims to field affordable combat mass to counter stealth threats. While a Lockheed Martin F-35 costs about $80 million, the goal for CCAs is between $25–$30 million per airframe. This price point allows for 'attritability,' where the loss of an aircraft is economically and strategically acceptable. The USAF plans to spend over $6 billion on CCA programs between 2023 and 2028, with a target fleet size potentially reaching 1,000 units.

The global race features diverse designs and varying levels of autonomy. Turkey's Baykar Kızılelma is a carrier-capable unmanned fighter entering mass production in late 2025, while the TAI Anka-3 focuses on deep strike and ISR. In Australia, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat has already conducted cooperative testing with F/A-18F Super Hornets. Meanwhile, China's approach appears to favor independent, true fighter-like UCAVs rather than the Western focus on cooperativity and expandability. While China showcased several prototypes in a 2025 parade, experts suggest these are still undergoing test and evaluation rather than wide-scale deployment.

The technology is maturing rapidly. The Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie achieved a milestone in 2023 with its first flight commanded by machine-learning-trained AI algorithms. However, the path is not without friction; the UK's Spirit Mosquito demonstrator was cancelled in 2022 as funding shifted toward less ambitious advances. The current landscape remains a competition of integration: how effectively these autonomous platforms can be woven into existing crewed fleets like the F-35 or future NGAD platforms.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The rise of the 'loyal wingman' in modern aerial warfare
• Drones have disrupted traditional military doctrine as profoundly as the invention of gunpowder once did.
• The Remote Revolution: How Drones Are Lowering the Threshold of War
• The drone mothership: Scaling warfare from individual strikes to coordinated swarms
• From target practice to global reach: the evolution of American drone warfare
• The high-speed German aircraft gun that was too fast for its own good
• Why the smallest fighter in the sky often holds the most power
• The high-speed phantom that outran the fighters of the Pacific War
• The iconic slogan that was never actually meant to be seen
• The Nakajima Ki-84 was Japan's most formidable late-war fighter
• The Japanese fighter that fooled the Allies into thinking it was German
• The Swiss aerospace giant born from a wartime plan to build factories inside mountains

More in Military aviation · More in Wars & Conflicts · Latest · A–Z · All topics