Tue, Sep 02, 2025
Newest USAF Drone Begins Process in Earnest
The YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft has begun its flight testing in coordination with the U.S. Air Force, taking a vital step for its manufacturer, General Atomics.
The CCA is a much-needed improvement over existing fixed-wing UAVs in the portfolio, adding a slew of low-observability elements to keep up with developments abroad. The CCA’s designation describes its role, to some extent. The ‘Y’ is a placeholder for a non-production unit, and the ‘F’ for ‘Fighter’, and ‘Q’ for ‘Uncrewed’. It’s a bit of a departure from the UAVs we’ve watched for decades, like the venerable Predator or Osprey. The CCA is supposed to have a deeper bag of tricks to draw from, with a particular focus on air-to-air semi-autonomous air dominance. General Atomics has been working on its “brain” for some time already, using their jet-powered MQ-20 Avenger as a testbed for their autonomous training and direction.
They emphasized the fact that such aircraft are exclusive to them, as nobody has yet to build their own equivalent. The current YFQ-42A is a production-representative version of the aircraft, so what we see in the air today is likely what the future “A model” will look like. Currently, the firm manufactures more than 100 legacy aircraft per year at its Poway, California facility. That may seem a little low, for this kind of platform, and it’s something they’ve already addressed. The CCA will soon be the USAF’s pre-eminent air dominance UAV, designed to provide “air dominance while being designed for rapid production, in large quantities, at an affordable price.” They have cited a goal of producing 1,000 aircraft on an accelerated timeline, and it seems like they’re hitting their marks so far. Ground testing started last May, one recalls.
“What a great moment for the U.S. Air Force and for GA-ASI,” said GA 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.”
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