One of the US Air Force's first official combat drones has taken to the air after only a year of building and development. General Atomics's YFQ-42A is currently undergoing flight testing in anticipation of a future fleet of 1,000 autonomous planes
The YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) isn't the only autonomous combat drone in the world under development, but it is the first of two, along with the Anduril YFQ-44A, to be officially accepted as combat aircraft by a major air force. In this case, the designations stand for Y – Prototype, F – Fighter, Q – Unmanned Aircraft, design number 42 and 44, and A – series.
The idea is to create a fleet of autonomous jet-powered Loyal Wingman combat craft with the performance to operate alongside fifth- and sixth-generation fighters, including the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. These aircraft would act as force multipliers that would cost less than crewed fighters, yet would have advanced machine learning for human-machine teaming. With this, the human pilot can concentrate on the mission while the drones fly themselves, even in combat scenarios.
Derived from the General Atomics "Gambit" family of uncrewed aerial vehicles, its development was sped up by means of model-based digital engineering as well as an autonomous avionics suite tested over five years using a jet-powered MQ-20 Avenger drone, formerly known as the Predator C, and the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS).
Because the YFQ-42A is still in the prototype stage, its specifications are still a bit fluid as well as largely under wraps, but it's estimated to have a range of over 700 nautical miles (805 miles, 1,300 km) and be capable of carrying two air-to-air missiles in its payload bay. In addition, the fuselage is designed for a low radar and infrared profile for better stealth. It may also be capable of aerial refueling.
"What a great moment for the U.S. Air Force and for GA-ASI," said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. "It’s been our collaboration that enabled us to build and fly the YFQ-42A in just over a year. It’s an incredible achievement and I salute the Air Force for its vision and I salute our development team for delivering yet another historic first for our company."
A decision is expected in 2026 as to which of the two prototypes will proceed to full production.
Source: General Atomics
