GA-ASI Marks One other Aviation First With YFQ-42A CCA Flight Testing

SAN DIEGO – 27 August 2025 – The YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft, designed and developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), is now conducting flight testing in coordination with the U.S. Air Force. This historic achievement continues the corporate’s fast creation of recent, jet-powered uncrewed platforms chartered by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to attain air dominance whereas being designed for fast manufacturing, in massive portions, at an reasonably priced value.

“What a great moment for the U.S. Air Force and for GA-ASI,” stated 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.”

The YFQ-42A is GA-ASI’s latest uncrewed jet, centered on air-to-air semi-autonomous operation and based mostly on the genus-species idea pioneered on the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS). Using state-of-the-art, model-based digital engineering, GA-ASI was in a position to speed up its schedule whereas optimizing air dominance capabilities. YFQ-42’s autonomy core has been educated throughout greater than 5 years of flight testing utilizing GA-ASI’s jet-powered MQ-20 Avenger®, an plane no different firm has. The built-in capabilities of a stealthy, air-to-air-focused uncrewed jet, mixed with a realized AI autonomy core, present warfighters with a definitive benefit sooner or later struggle.

The GA-ASI program has centered on making a high-rate manufacturing atmosphere that permits USAF to succeed in its aim of manufacturing greater than 1,000 CCAs on an accelerated timeline. Ground testing for YFQ-42A started in May.

USAF chosen GA-ASI in April 2024 to construct and fly a completely production-representative Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). In March, USAF designated the plane the YFQ-42A, with the “Y” indicating a production-representative plane (“Y” can be dropped upon coming into manufacturing), “F” signifying a fighter plane, and “Q” denoting an uncrewed plane.

GA-ASI has developed greater than two dozen several types of uncrewed plane and delivered greater than 1,200 items to clients, constructing greater than 100 plane per yr at its 5 million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Poway, Calif. GA-ASI plane have amassed practically 9 million whole flight hours; greater than 50 GA-ASI plane are aloft world wide each minute of every single day.

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is the world’s foremost builder of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Logging practically 9 million flight hours, the Predator® line of UAS has flown for over 30 years and contains MQ-9A Reaper®, MQ-1C Gray Eagle®, MQ-20 Avenger®, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian®/SeaGuardian®. The firm is devoted to offering long-endurance, multi-mission options that ship persistent situational consciousness and fast strike.

For extra data, go to www.ga-asi.com

Avenger, EagleEye, Gray Eagle, Lynx, Predator, Reaper, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are emblems of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. registered within the United States and/or different international locations.