Is the age of the manned fighter plane really on its way out, or are accounts of its death exaggerated? Elon Musk’s recent salvo against the Boeing F-47 a showpiece of the US Air Force’s Next ...

For the first time, we now have an image of General Atomics' YFQ-42A in the flesh. Alongside Anduril's YFQ-44A, they will be the U.S. Air Force’s first uncrewed fighters.

The tech billionaire said the US should instead invest in drone tech, reigniting debates over military priorities.

The U.S. Air Force announced the start of the ground testing of the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, and selected Beale AFB to host a CCA Aircraft Readiness Unit.

General Atomics’ YFQ-42A is derived from its XQ-67 Off-Board Sensing Station drone, which the Air Force Research Laboratory flew in 2024 to test a “platform sharing” construction concept.

The YFQ-42A’s rival is Anduril’s YFQ-44A, which has also commenced ground testing. “The YFQ-42A is an exciting next step for our company,” says GA-ASI president David Alexander.

European defence firms are also advancing wingman drone initiatives, including Sweden’s Saab (SAABb.ST) and a trilateral partnership between Dassault Aviation (AM.PA), Airbus (AIR.PA), and Indra ...

General Atomics says it will show a full-scale YFQ-42A model on June 7, during the Beale Air and Space Expo (naturally, we'll be all over it once it breaks cover), while its competitor, Anduril ...

GA-ASI Features Full-Size Model of New YFQ-42A CCA for Affordable Mass and Air Dominance. PARIS, FR / ACCESS Newswire / June 15, 2025 / General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) returns ...