General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has been selected by the US Marine Corps (USMC) for evaluation in the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
“This selection builds upon the GA-ASI autonomous systems in use today and demonstrates our commitment to delivering next generation capabilities for critical USMC missions,” Vice President of Advanced Programs for GA-ASI, Mike Atwood, said.
The agreement will integrate GA-ASI’s experience in autonomy and uncrewed aircraft systems with a government-provided mission package, using the YFQ-42A platform as a surrogate to evaluate integration with crewed fighters.
“Our FQ-42, combined with our proven autonomy architecture and integration expertise, positions us to rapidly deliver an affordable CCA solution that enhances the Marine Air-Ground Task Force’s operational effectiveness in contested environments," Atwood stated.
The contract will initiate integration of a Marine Corps mission kit into the YFQ-42A surrogate platform for assessment within the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF).
The USMC contract will include the rapid development of autonomy for the government-supplied mission kit — a cost-effective, sensor-rich, software-defined suite capable of delivering kinetic and non-kinetic effects — positioning the solution for use in expeditionary operations. This work will support evaluations of future MUX TACAIR capabilities.
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 conducted its maiden flight in August 2025, validating a “genus/species” concept for uncrewed fighter aircraft development.
The YFQ-42A is a purpose-built CCA platform developed as part of GA-ASI’s ongoing investment in next-generation autonomous combat aircraft.