U.S. Air Force designates its two first Unmanned Combat Aircraft
The U.S. Air Force’s first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) have received their designations, the service revealed Monday.
The General Atomics unmanned fighter has been designated YFQ-42A while the Anduril aircraft has been assigned the designation YFQ-44A.
The two advanced drones represent the Air Force’s first generation of unmanned fighters and their prototypes are expected to take their first flights this fall.
“Now we have two prototypes of Collaborative Combat Aircraft,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin. “They were only on paper less than a couple of years ago, and they are going to be ready to fly this summer.”
As the Air Force explained, the Y designation implies that they are prototypes, which will be removed when the jets enter production.
“For the first time in our history, we have a fighter designation in the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A,” Allvin added. “It may be just symbolic, but we are telling the world we are leaning into a new chapter of aerial warfare.”
The CCAs promise to be a major game-changer in aerial combat in the coming years. Equipped with Artificial Intelligence, stealth, but at a lower unit price than manned fighters, these aircraft will take on the riskiest missions in the theater of war.
Both the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A will operate in many situations as “Loyal Wingmen” to manned fighters.
Initially, the USAF will use its current 5th generation fighters like the F-22 and F-35 to accompany the stealth drones, but a future fighter from the NGAD program could take over that role if it is indeed revived.
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