General Atomics YFQ-42

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YFQ-42
YFQ-42 art.jpg
U.S. Air Force artwork of the YFQ-42
General information
Type Unmanned combat aerial vehicle, collaborative combat aircraft
National originUnited States
Manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
StatusUnder development
Primary user United States Air Force
History
Developed from General Atomics XQ-67A

The General Atomics YFQ-42 is an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) currently under development by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The aircraft is one of the winning designs for Increment I of the United States Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program and is intended to augment crewed fighter aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning, and the planned Next Generation Air Dominance fighter for air-to-air missions through manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).

Contents

Development and design

The YFQ-42 is a member of General Atomics "Gambit" family of UCAVs and derived from the company's XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station demonstrator built for the Air Force Research Laboratory. [1] [2] The design was selected as one of the two winners of the Increment I CCA alongside the Anduril YFQ-44. [3]

A mockup of the design was showcased during a September 2024 Air Force conference; the aircraft's configuration is similar to the XA-67A but modified for greater speeds and fighter-like maneuverability, with the airframe having an elongated fuselage with slender wings, a dorsal-mounted inlet, a single engine, V-tails, and internal weapons bay. Planned armament is two AIM-120 AMRAAMs [4] [5] The design is expected to provide the USAF with "affordable mass" to augment its crewed fighters in air-to-air missions. Its low cost nature, while not attritable, enables users and commanders to take greater risks with them. [6]

The aircraft received its formal designation during the 2025 Air & Space Forces Association symposium. Flight testing is expected to begin in 2025. [7]

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. ↑ Decker, Audrey (23 September 2024). "Dueling robot wingmen take the stage". Defense One.
  2. ↑ Insinna, Valerie (25 July 2024). "General Atomics could fly first CCA prototype in mid-2025: Aeronautics president". Breaking Defense.
  3. ↑ Tirpak, John (25 April 2024). "Anduril and General Atomics to Develop New Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Air Force". Air & Space Forces Magazine. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Insinna, Valerie (10 September 2024). "Anduril, General Atomics to showcase drone wingmen models at Air Force conference next week". Breaking Defense.
  5. ↑ D'Urso, Stefano (17 September 2024). "Anduril And General Atomics Showcase Collaborative Combat Aircraft Mockups". The Aviationist.
  6. ↑ Finnerty, Ryan (19 September 2024). "USAF's first autonomous combat jets will act as air-to-air 'missile trucks' for crewed fighters". FlightGlobal.
  7. ↑ Gordon, Chris (3 March 2025). "America's First Unmanned Fighters Are Here: YFQ-42 and YFQ-44". Air and Space Forces Magazine. Air and Space Forces Association.
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