Autonomous Air Force Fighter Drones Are Being Put to the Test

Collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) being developed by Anduril and GA-ASI are hitting the skies.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 02:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

GA-ASI’s uncrewed YFQ-42A Dark Merlin, equipped with Collins Aerospace’s Sidekick autonomy software, conducts its first semiautonomous flight for the Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. [Credit: GA-ASI]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program aims to procure approximately 1,000 autonomous "loyal wingmen" drones by 2030 to assist crewed fighter jets.
General Atomics’ YFQ-42A Dark Merlin recently completed its first semiautonomous flight alongside crewed fighters, leveraging Collins Aerospace's Sidekick autonomy system.
Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury has begun weapons integration testing, attaching inert AIM-120 air-to-air missiles to validate safety and airworthiness.
These CCA aircraft are designed to extend the sensor range of fighter jets for enhanced situational awareness and eventually carry live munitions for combat operations.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program—which aims to procure about 1,000 autonomous aircraft to serve as “loyal wingmen” to crewed fighter jets—is reaching new heights in 2026.

The two aircraft selected by the branch for testing and evaluation under the first CCA phase or “increment”—General Atomics’ (GA-ASI) YFQ-42A Dark Merlin and Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury—both achieved new milestones this year after first taking flight in late 2025.