Unmanned Aerial Combat Vehicles Arrive in America: YFQ-42 and YFQ-44
Unmanned Fighters Introduced as Air Force's First Collaborative Combat Aircraft
AURORA, Colo. – In a keynote address at the Air Force Association’s Warfare Symposium on March 3, General David W. Goldfein, Air Force Chief of Staff, unveiled the service's first two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes – uncrewed aircraft carrying the designation of "fighters."
The much-anticipated CCA program, a significant shift towards integrating autonomous systems into the Air Force's combat fleet, aims to reshape air superiority and enhance human-machine teaming capabilities. General Atomics' prototype will be named the YFQ-42A, while Anduril Industries' CCA will be known as the YFQ-44A.
Under the Air Force's naming conventions, the "Y" signifies prototype, "F" means fighter, and "Q" denotes unmanned. Once a prototype enters production, the Air Force will drop the "Y" prefix. According to General Goldfein, the fighter designation for the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A is more than just a name; it symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter in aerial warfare.
CCA drones are designed to act as "loyal wingmen," flying alongside manned fighter jets, including the F-35 Lightning II. The Air Force believes that a single manned fighter can control a larger number of drones than originally imagined, using less complicated autonomous technology.
"We are moving into a new era of manned, human-machine teaming," Goldfein explained to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The CCA program is a crucial step in this direction, as the Air Force seeks to build out its force design with scalable force packages.
Anduril Industries expressed enthusiasm over the milestone in a statement: “Our CCA is a high-performance aircraft designed specifically for the air superiority mission, acting as a force multiplier for crewed aircraft within the real constraints of cost and time." General Atomics echoed similar sentiments, noting that their YFQ-42A would be instrumental in securing air dominance for the Joint Force in future conflicts.
The Air Force has become increasingly bullish on the CCA program, part of the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) portfolio, which may also include a penetrating crewed fighter. However, the fate of the crewed NGAD fighter will ultimately be decided by the next Secretary of the Air Force and the Trump administration.
"If we're in a dangerous and dynamic time, I want to give the president as many options as we possibly can," Goldfein stated. "So yes, keep on the modernization. Yes, NGAD. Yes, CCA. That's what it is going to take."
The CCA program represents a flexible, rapidly adaptable, and cost-effective solution for air superiority, leveraging advanced autonomous technology and innovative human-machine teaming concepts. The YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A prototypes are currently undergoing ground testing, with flight testing and production scheduled for the near future.
The uncrewed aircraft prototypes, YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, designated as "fighters", are part of the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, a significant step towards integrating autonomous systems into combat fleets. These drones are designed to work alongside manned fighter jets, such as the F-35 Lightning II, acting as "loyal wingmen". The Air Force believes that this human-machine teaming will reshape air superiority and enable a single manned fighter to control a larger number of drones. General Goldfein considers the fighter designation for the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A as a symbol of a new chapter in aerial warfare, marking the beginning of manned-unmanned teaming. The CCA program is a crucial part of the Air Force's Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) portfolio, which may also include a crewed fighter.
