General Atomics YFQ-42
{{short description|Unmanned combat aircraft under development by General Atomics}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = YFQ-42
|image = YFQ-42 ground test.jpg
|caption = General Atomics YFQ-42 in a ground test facility
|type = Unmanned combat aerial vehicle, collaborative combat aircraft
|national_origin = United States
|manufacturer = General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
|designer =
|first_flight =
|introduction =
|retired =
|status = Under development
|primary_user = United States Air Force
|more_users =
|produced =
|number_built =
|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).
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.{{cite web |last=Decker |first=Audrey |url=https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2024/09/dueling-robot-wingmen-take-stage/399746/ |title=Dueling robot wingmen take the stage |work=Defense One |date=23 September 2024}}{{cite web |last=Insinna |first=Valerie |url=https://breakingdefense.com/2024/07/general-atomics-could-fly-first-cca-prototype-in-mid-2025-aeronautics-president/ |title=General Atomics could fly first CCA prototype in mid-2025: Aeronautics president |work=Breaking Defense |date=25 July 2024}} The design was selected as one of the two winners of the Increment I CCA alongside the Anduril YFQ-44.{{Cite web |last=Tirpak |first=John |date=2024-04-25 |title=Anduril and General Atomics to Develop New Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Air Force |url=https://www.airandspaceforces.com/cca-contract-winners-to-be-announced-imminently/ |access-date=2024-07-02 |website=Air & Space Forces Magazine |language=en-US}}
A mockup of the design was showcased during a September 2024 Air Force conference; the aircraft's configuration is similar to the XQ-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.{{cite web |last=Insinna |first=Valerie |url=https://breakingdefense.com/2024/09/anduril-general-atomics-to-showcase-drone-wingmen-models-at-air-force-conference-next-week/ |title=Anduril, General Atomics to showcase drone wingmen models at Air Force conference next week |work=Breaking Defense |date=10 September 2024}}{{cite web |last=D'Urso |first=Stefano |url=https://theaviationist.com/2024/09/17/anduril-and-general-atomics-showcase-collaborative-combat-aircraft-mockups/ |title=Anduril And General Atomics Showcase Collaborative Combat Aircraft Mockups |work=The Aviationist |date=17 September 2024}} 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.{{cite web |last=Finnerty |first=Ryan |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/military-uavs/usafs-first-autonomous-combat-jets-will-act-as-air-to-air-missile-trucks-for-crewed-fighters/160011.article |title=USAF’s first autonomous combat jets will act as air-to-air ‘missile trucks’ for crewed fighters |work=FlightGlobal |date=19 September 2024}}
The aircraft received its formal designation during the 2025 Air & Space Forces Association symposium. Flight testing is expected to begin in 2025.{{cite web |last=Gordon |first=Chris |title=America’s First Unmanned Fighters Are Here: YFQ-42 and YFQ-44 |url=https://www.airandspaceforces.com/americas-first-unmanned-fighters-yfq-42-yfq-44/ |work=Air and Space Forces Magazine |publisher=Air and Space Forces Association |date=3 March 2025}}
See also
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References
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{{General Atomics aircraft}}
{{US unmanned aircraft}}
{{USAF fighters}}