USAF announces CCA designations

The US Air Force has announced that its two Collaborative Combat Aircraft CCA) prototypes, the Anduril Fury and General Atomics XQ-67A, will receive official designations and will fly during the northern summer of 2025. This is the first time in USAF history the service has designated an uncrewed aircraft as a fighter and an important step towards the eventual fielding of a 6^th generation capability.

The aircraft are designated YFQ-42A (General Atomics) and YFQ-44A (Anduril).

“Representing the first in a new generation of uncrewed fighter aircraft, both will be crucial in securing air superiority for the Joint Force in future conflicts,” says a USAF statement. “These aircraft are designed to leverage autonomous capabilities and crewed-uncrewed teaming to defeat enemy threats in contested environments.

“Now we have two prototypes of Collaborative Combat Aircraft,” said USAF Chief of Staff GEN David Allvin. “They were only on paper less than a couple of years ago, and they are going to be ready to fly this summer.”

The MDS designation provides a standardized framework for identifying and classifying these aircraft, according to the USAF:

• Status Prefix: Y- Prototype (The “Y” will be dropped upon entering production)
• Basic Mission: F – Fighter
• Vehicle Type: Q – Unmanned Aircraft
• Design Number: 42 / 44
• Series: A – 1st Version

“For the first time in our history, we have a fighter designation in the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A,” Allvin added. “It may be just symbolic, but we are telling the world we are leaning into a new chapter of aerial warfare. It means collaborative combat aircraft, it means human-machine teaming. We are developing those capabilities thinking, ‘mission first.’”

The Air Force will continue to work closely with its industry partners, the statement continued, to mature the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A prototypes through rigorous testing and evaluation. The insights gained from these efforts will be crucial in shaping the future of the CCA program and solidifying the Air Force’s position at the forefront of airpower innovation.