A YFQ-42A prototype drone in the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program takes off during flight testing at a California test location. The Netherlands signed a deal with the U.S. to join the program, the Dutch defense ministry said Oct. 16, 2025. (Courtesy photo)
A U.S. Air Force initiative to develop advanced drones that can operate alongside manned fighter jets is adding the Netherlands to the mix, a move the Dutch defense ministry said will strengthen trans-Atlantic cooperation.
The NATO ally signed a letter of intent Thursday to participate in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, according to a ministry statement the same day.
The initiative aims to develop drones equipped with sensors or weapons to augment operations involving crewed aircraft, extending their reach and combat capabilities, the ministry said.
The Netherlands is one of several NATO partners that operate the F-35 Lightning II, a U.S.-made supersonic stealth fighter with which the drones developed under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program could integrate, according to the statement.
A prototype the Air Force is developing through the program took flight less than two years after its launch, signaling a major shift in acquisition of new weapons systems, the service said in a statement in late August.
“CCA will help us rethink the battlespace, extend reach, flexibility and lethality in combat operations, and optimize warfighter performance through human-machine teaming,” Air Force Chief of Staff David Allvin said at the time.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink called the rapid turnaround time an example of “what’s possible when innovative acquisition meets motivated industry.”
The Dutch statement alluded to a potential role in the longer term for universities, research centers and companies in the Netherlands to assist the U.S. in research and development for the program.
The agreement comes amid heightened security concerns in Europe resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war and a string of drone and fighter jet incursions into NATO airspace.
A week before the Dutch announcement, Denmark said it will purchase 16 additional F-35s from the United States and an unspecified number of CCA program aircraft.
The Netherlands also signed a separate agreement Thursday with American defense company General Atomics to develop surveillance drones.
