Collaborative Combat Aircraft Prototype Moves Forward as YFQ-42A

The U.S. Air Force has assigned an official name to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.'s (GA-ASI) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototype: YFQ-42A. This designation comes after the Air Force selected GA-ASI in 2024 to develop the aircraft, making it part of an ongoing effort to integrate uncrewed systems into future combat operations.

“We’re proud to get a new official aircraft designation,” expressed GA-ASI President David Alexander. “YFQ-42A continues a long and distinguished history for GA-ASI that dates back to the 1990s and the debut of the RQ-1 Predator®, which later changed to MQ-1 Predator.”

The naming follows standard Air Force conventions. The “Y” indicates that it is a production-representative test aircraft, the “F” stands for fighter, and the “Q” marks it as an uncrewed system. If the aircraft moves beyond this stage, the “Y” will be dropped. The YFQ-42A is intended to work alongside piloted aircraft, using autonomy to extend combat capabilities without adding more human pilots into the mix.

GA-ASI has a history of building uncrewed aircraft, including the MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, and MQ-20 Avenger. The YFQ-42A ‘fighter drone’ is the latest in this line, following the company’s previous XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station, which was another step in the Air Force’s broader CCA program.

The Air Force is pushing toward Autonomous Collaborative Platforms, aiming to make uncrewed systems a routine part of air operations. The YFQ-42A is expected to be a lower-cost way to increase force numbers while integrating with existing and future piloted aircraft. How well it will perform in actual operations remains to be seen.

GA-ASI will display a one-sixth scale model of the YFQ-42A at the Air Warfare Symposium from March 3-5, 2025, in booth #1003. Attendees can take a look and speculate on whether this aircraft will meet expectations… or join the ever-growing line of delayed, overrun fighter programs that have fallen short of standards.

FMI: www.ga-asi.com