GA-ASI’s YFQ-42A Dark Merlin is one of several candidates to be the first U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). [Credit: GA-ASI]
Key Takeaways:
An experimental YFQ-42A Dark Merlin, an autonomous "loyal wingman" drone for the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, crashed during testing in California.
Manufacturer General Atomics (GA-ASI) stated there were no injuries and has temporarily paused flight testing to investigate the cause of the mishap.
The crash could be a setback for GA-ASI as it competes with other companies like Anduril for initial CCA production contracts.
The CCA program, aimed at pairing crewed fighters with uncrewed drones, is a significant, highly-funded Pentagon initiative critical for future air combat capabilities.
An experimental aircraft developed to serve as an autonomous “loyal wingman” for next-generation U.S. Air Force fighter jets crashed in the California desert on Monday.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI)—the manufacturer of the YFQ-42A Dark Merlin in question—said Monday that the aircraft “experienced a mishap” after taking off from a company-owned airport.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
