According to the Wall Street Journal website on March 3rd, the US Air Force is developing unmanned jet fighters. This type of fighter jet can fly towards targets at an altitude of 9 meters from the ground or directly towards enemy missiles that are densely launched. The soaring cost of existing military aircraft, coupled with advancements in flight software, has prompted the US Air Force to shift towards developing a new generation of unmanned aerial vehicles to support its fleet, according to reports. The US Air Force hopes to obtain at least 1000 mini fighter jets currently under development, including hundreds within 5 years. They can protect manned aircraft such as F-35 fighter jets and new B-21 bombers, carry their own weapons to attack other aircraft and ground targets, and serve as aerial reconnaissance and communication centers. These drones are called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and are part of a $6 billion project. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, and the newly established Anduril Industries are seeking to participate in this project. The Pentagon plans to select two companies to start building this type of fighter jet before this summer. Among the five competing drones, only Boeing's MQ-28 Phantom Bat drone has been publicly flown, and the Royal Australian Air Force has ordered this aircraft. Anduril Industries has released photos of the "Fury" drone under development, while General Atoms has released renderings of the "Abandoned Soldiers" drone series. Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are both committed to highly confidential projects and keep their jet drones confidential. The Ghost Bat and Fury drones are smaller than existing fighter jets, ranging in length from 6 to 9 meters. The F-16 fighter jet manufactured by Lockheed Martin is approximately 15 meters long. According to the specifications of the US Air Force, these drones will be able to fly at speeds slightly below the speed of sound, carry missiles and other weapons, and fire at enemy aircraft and ground targets (including ships). The emergence of new jet unmanned aerial vehicles reflects the progress made in flight software, which utilizes artificial intelligence to enable aircraft to fly autonomously and adapt to constantly changing combat conditions. "We are much more advanced now," said Brandon Zeng, founder and president of the "Shield" artificial intelligence company that created flight software and drones. Air Force officials and flight software developers said that without crew members, drones can perform more dangerous operations during flight that pilots cannot physically withstand. Brandon from Shield Artificial Intelligence once said that the software developed by his company can allow jet drones to sweep over the ground at a speed of 960 kilometers per hour. (Lai Xin She)