DefenseUS Marines to use Air Force-developed combat drone in new program
The U.S. Marine Corps has selected General Atomics (GA-ASI) to evaluate its YFQ-42A unmanned aircraft under a Marine program focused on future expeditionary air operations.
The aircraft will support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft effort, which aims to assess how uncrewed systems can operate alongside crewed fighters.
The contract covers integration of a government-provided Marine Corps mission kit into the YFQ-42A platform.
The YFQ-42A was developed at the request of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) as part of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative. The Air Force is also evaluating a separate design, the YFQ-44A built by Anduril Industries, under the same effort to field autonomous combat aircraft.
As part of the Marine Corps agreement, GA-ASI will adapt the YFQ-42A to carry a government-supplied mission package described as sensor-rich and software-defined, with the ability to deliver kinetic and non-kinetic effects. The work includes development of autonomy functions to support expeditionary operations.
The YFQ-42A conducted its first flight in August 2025. GA-ASI has described the aircraft as a modular, low-cost platform designed to support different mission sets through rapid integration of systems.
“Our FQ-42, combined with our proven autonomy architecture and integration expertise, positions us to rapidly deliver an affordable CCA solution that enhances the Marine Air-Ground Task Force’s operational effectiveness in contested environments,” said said Mike Atwood, Vice President of Advanced Programs for GA-ASI.
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