The U.S. Air Force has officially designated the drones being developed by General Atomics and Anduril as part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The General Atomics drone is named YFQ-42A, and Anduril’s drone is YFQ-44A, marking the U.S. military’s first-ever “fighter drone” designations.
Gen. David Allvin, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, revealed the designations during a keynote at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2025 Warfare Symposium. The designations—”Y” for prototype, “F” for fighter, and “Q” for drone—signal a shift towards uncrewed fighter aircraft. The drones will primarily support crewed fighter jets in air-to-air combat, though they may eventually take on additional roles like electronic warfare and ISR.
Anduril’s drone, internally known as “Fury,” was originally developed by Blue Force Technologies, which Anduril acquired in 2023. General Atomics has not yet publicly named its drone.
The Air Force plans to purchase 100 to 150 Increment 1 CCAs, with both companies selected in 2024 after a competitive process. These drones will act as “flying missile trucks” to assist crewed jets, and their roles may expand in future versions.
Looking ahead, Increment 2 will see more advanced and expensive drones, with up to 1,000 CCAs potentially acquired. As the Air Force integrates these drones into its operations, officials are excited about the transformative potential of autonomy and human-machine collaboration in aerial warfare.
These new drones, YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, are poised to reshape the future of U.S. military aviation.
