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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]

9 clusters · 50 sources · 39 days · First seen · Last updated

US Air Force CCA program enters production and testing

Overview

The U.S. Air Force has officially named its first two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) models: the FQ-42 Vengeance, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, and the FQ-44 Fury, developed by Anduril Industries. These semi-autonomous unmanned aircraft are designed to support manned fighter jets by enhancing range, survivability, and situational awareness, with an initial focus on air-to-air missions.

The Air Force intends to procure approximately 1,000 CCAs, aiming for at least 500 in service by 2032. The program utilizes a modular procurement approach that separates airframe acquisition from mission autonomy software. The U.S. Air Force has now entered the production phase for the program, aiming to deploy an initial 150 unmanned platforms.

In September 2026, General Atomics delivered an FQ-42 Vengeance to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. To support production scaling, General Atomics partnered with Spirit Defense, a Boeing Company subsidiary, to assist with fuselage design and manufacturing. This collaboration is intended to increase manufacturing capacity and industrial depth, allowing for faster scaling of CCA production while reducing the risk of single points of failure.

In October 2026, the program reached a major milestone during flight tests conducted by Anduril over California. An F-22 Raptor pilot successfully demonstrated the ability to command an autonomous YFQ-44A Fury drone during a simulated mission. In this test, the pilot acted as an airborne ‘quarterback,’ issuing high-level tactical directives via a secure tactical data link rather than controlling individual flight parameters. The drone’s onboard autonomy software interpreted these commands to execute real-time maneuvers and combat tasks.

Looking ahead, the Air Force plans to debut the drones in a large-scale combat exercise, Emerald Flag, at Eglin Air Force Base in December 2026.

Entities

U.S. Air Force · General Atomics · Anduril · FQ-42 Vengeance · US Air Force

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. [TECHNOLOGY] 13 sources
    GA-ASI partners with Spirit Defense for FQ-42 CCA production

    GA-ASI is partnering with Boeing subsidiary Spirit Defense to manufacture the FQ-42 Vengeance uncrewed fighter for the U.S. Air Force.

  2. [TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
    US Air Force tests F-22 Raptor control of autonomous Fury drone

    An F-22 Raptor pilot successfully commanded an autonomous YFQ-44A Fury drone in a flight test, advancing the US Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

  3. [TECHNOLOGY] 6 sources
    U.S. Air Force F-22 pilot commands autonomous YFQ-44A drone

    A U.S. Air Force F-22 pilot successfully commanded an autonomous YFQ-44A Fury drone during flight, marking a major milestone in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

  4. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    US Air Force begins production of FQ-42 and FQ-44 combat drones

    The US Air Force has begun production of 150 Collaborative Combat Aircraft, including the FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury, to support manned fighters in integrated combat missions.

  5. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    U.S. Air Force advances drone programs and pilot training models

    The U.S. Air Force is exploring contractor-owned aircraft for pilot training and has named its first two Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone prototypes, ‘Vengeance’ and ‘Fury’.

  6. [TECHNOLOGY] 4 sources
    General Atomics delivers FQ-42 Vengeance to U.S. Air Force

    General Atomics has delivered the FQ-42 Vengeance uncrewed aircraft to Creech Air Force Base for testing as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

  7. [TECHNOLOGY] 17 sources
    FQ-42 Vengeance drone delivered to Creech Air Force Base

    General Atomics has delivered an FQ-42 Vengeance uncrewed fighter to Creech Air Force Base for U.S. Air Force testing under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

  8. [TECHNOLOGY] 6 sources
    US Air Force to debut combat drones in large-scale exercise

    The US Air Force will debut its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, the FQ-42A and FQ-44A, in a large-scale combat exercise this December at Eglin Air Force Base.

  9. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    U.S. Air Force names FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury combat drones

    The U.S. Air Force has named its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury, aiming for 500 operational drones by 2032 to support manned fighter jets.

Sources

ad-hoc-news.de · aereo.jor.br · aero-space.eu · airdatanews.com · airway.com.br · aktual24.ro · armadainternational.com · aviationwire.jp · avioblog.it · bahrainwire.com · businessnewsasia.com · conexaopolitica.com.br · defence-industry.eu · deutscherpresseindex.de · donanimhaber.com · escenariomundial.com · euro-sd.com · excelsior.com.mx · finance.technews.tw · flightlineweekly.com · gazeteabc.com · gazetedamga.com.tr · generation-nt.com · ilcehaber.com.tr · indiastrategic.in · infodefensa.com · insidedefense.com · interestingengineering.com · ipaddisti.it · it-boltwise.de · joint-forces.com · laopinion.com · libyanewswire.com · lifezette.com · list25.com · mediafax.ro · mittelstandcafe.de · nemesishd.gr · newsonline24.net · noticiabrasil.net.br · qatarpress.qa · raillynews.com · rasalkhaimahnews.com · sanikhaber.com · saobentoemfoco.com.br · soldiersystems.net · teknoblog.com · telegraf.rs

This summary has been updated 8 times: see revision history