General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has delivered a new FQ-42 Vengeance uncrewed fighter to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, where it will support continued U.S. Air Force test, evaluation and experimentation under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
Mike Atwood, GA-ASI Vice President of Advanced Programs, commented, “The CCA program’s rate of progress has been incredible. Every week, the Air Force is pushing forward with new and more impressive accomplishments using Vengeance. It’s amazing to think of how far this program has come in such a short amount of time.”
Previous efforts with Vengeance and other GA-ASI jets, including the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station and MQ-20 Avenger®, have involved the three combat jets flying in various scenarios that push the boundaries of combat aviation. GA-ASI’s jets have flown semi-autonomously and autonomously with various AI pilots and under the collaborative control of human fighter pilots operating F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II jets.
FQ-42 Vengeance, a 5th-generation uncrewed fighter with an internal weapons bay and other features designed for low observability and increased survivability, has flown formation flights alongside F-35 and F-15E Strike Eagle in preparation for collaborative control operations with manned aircraft. Those experiments will replicate company demonstrations previously flown by GA-ASI using MQ-20 as a CCA surrogate to advance CCA operations in parallel to the primary U.S. Air Force development program.
GA-ASI was selected by USAF in April 2024 to build production-representative flight test articles for the CCA program. FQ-42 Vengeance made its maiden flight in August 2025 and was selected in June 2026 for an initial production contract. GA-ASI has completed a new low-observable paint facility to support CCA production, and the company is currently positioned to deliver six aircraft per month to meet USAF goals, with more manufacturing space available to respond to additional orders.
Production of FQ-42 Vengeance is underway on company investment as government funding plans mature, with GA-ASI continuing its longstanding tradition of working at-risk with its own funds to support U.S. procurement planning and prevent delays in delivery. GA-ASI plans to build multiple fighters for its own company aircraft fleet, to invest in inventing new technologies that reduce risk and increase capabilities for its global customers.
XQ-67A and FQ-42 represent two customer-delivered examples of GA-ASI’s Gambit Series of next-generation combat jets. The modular design of the Gambit Series enables rapid integration of new systems, weapons and autonomy software, allowing customers to quickly pivot the platform to new missions without significant redesign.
GA-ASI has been building and flying uncrewed jets for nearly two decades, beginning with the company-funded MQ-20 Avenger® in 2008. Avenger has been used extensively by GA-ASI as a test bed aircraft for CCA development. The company’s XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station jet, developed in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory, is a cutting-edge model for autonomous collaborative platforms with advanced airborne sensing and served as a flying prototype for the FQ-42 Vengeance program.
