Breaking Defense reports, “A US Air Force wingman drone for the first time ‘successfully’ fired a live munition, an AMRAAM air-to-air missile, during a recent test, Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach revealed to Breaking Defense.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Tag: GA-ASI YFQ-42A
GA-ASI YFQ-42A CCA Prototype Crashes During California Test Flight
Aerotime reports, “A General Atomics YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototype crashed shortly after takeoff in the California desert on April 6, 2026, dealing the US Air Force’s flagship drone-wingman program its first known flight mishap. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) said the incident occurred at approximately 13:00 Pacific time at a company-owned airport. No one was injured. The company has temporarily paused flight test operations while it investigates the root cause.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
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YFQ-42A CCA Flight Testing | Credit: General Atomics; YouTube
General Atomics Names YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft ‘Dark Merlin’
Aviation Week reports, “General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) announced Feb. 23 that its collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) has a name: the Dark Merlin. The GA-ASI YFQ-42A is one of two CCAs being developed for the U.S. Air Force’s first increment of its program, along with the Anduril YFA-44A. After first flights in 2025, both of the prototypes now await a potential production award in 2026.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
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The YFQ-42A drone by General Atomics
(Techno Thunder; YouTube)