U.S. Air Force names FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury combat drones

The U.S. Air Force has officially named its first two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) models: the FQ-42 Vengeance and the FQ-44 Fury. The FQ-42 is being developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, while the FQ-44 is being developed by Anduril Industries.

These semi-autonomous unmanned aircraft are designed to operate alongside manned fighter jets to enhance range, situational awareness, and survivability. The FQ-42, previously referred to as Dark Merlin, and the FQ-44 will initially focus on air-to-air missions. In recent testing, the FQ-44 demonstrated the ability to fire an AIM-120 missile at a digital target, with human operators retaining final decision-making authority over weapon use.

The Air Force intends to procure approximately 1,000 CCAs in total. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced that the service aims to have at least 500 aircraft in service by 2032, a significant increase from previous estimates of 150 units by the end of the decade. The program involves a modular procurement approach, separating airframe acquisition from mission autonomy software, with several major defense contractors including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman involved in the software selection process.