The YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for the US Air Force, has returned to flight testing following a round of safety reviews and software enhancements for the new uncrewed fighter jet.
The return follows a strategic pause in flight testing stemming from a 6 April mishap shortly after take-off. Other aspects of the YFQ-42A program, including ground testing and other Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) activities, continued without interruption.
No one was injured in the incident, though the aircraft was a total loss. A thorough safety review isolated the cause to an autopilot miscalculation for the weight and centre of gravity of the aircraft, prompting a software remediation.
The Air Force and GA-ASI conducted a joint review following the mishap. Following a stringent evaluation, technical authorities endorsed the software changes and YFQ-42A has returned to the air.
“We’re excited to have YFQ-42A flying again,” GA-ASI President, David Alexander, stated. “It’s been said that you learn more from your setbacks than your successes. We are applying what we’ve learned to our growing fleet of CCAs, as we continue building the most dependable and cost-efficient unmanned fighters in the world.”
The YFQ-42A is a purpose-built CCA platform developed as part of ongoing investment in next-generation semi-autonomous combat aircraft. According to the company, the aircraft’s modular design enables rapid integration of mission systems and mission autonomy software.
GA-ASI was selected by the US Air Force in April 2024 to build production-representative flight test articles for the CCA program. The YFQ-42A successfully conducted its maiden flight in August 2025.