General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) is showcasing a full-scale model of its YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) at the Dubai Airshow.
The appearance marks one of the first international displays of the new unmanned aircraft, which is now in flight testing under an accelerated US Air Force development schedule.
The YFQ-42A is being developed under the US Air Force’s CCA program to field semi-autonomous drones that can fly alongside crewed fighters in air-to-air and strike roles.
GA-ASI’s design is derived from its modular Gambit family of combat drones, built around a common core architecture for faster production and easier reconfiguration.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft
CCAs are intended to augment aircraft such as the F-35 and future Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platforms by extending sensor reach, adding weapons capacity, and increasing resilience in highly contested airspace.
The service has stressed affordability and mass production as central requirements to field CCAs at scale.
GA-ASI said international interest in the concept has grown as air forces around the world assess the role of unmanned systems in future air combat.
After Dubai, the company plans to display the YFQ-42A model at DIMDEX in Doha
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