San Diego, United States - August 27, 2025 The U.S. Air Force and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. have begun flight testing of a prototype fighter jet designed for uncrewed combat operations. The milestone continues General Atomics’ rapid development of jet-powered unmanned aircraft aimed at achieving air dominance while being designed for fast, large-scale, and cost-efficient production. GA-ASI President David R. Alexander said: “What a great moment for the U.S. Air Force and for GA-ASI. It’s been our collaboration that enabled us to build and fly the YFQ-42A in just over a year. It’s an incredible achievement and I salute the Air Force for its vision and I salute our development team for delivering yet another historic first for our company.” The aircraft is focused on semi-autonomous air-to-air operations and builds on the genus-species concept pioneered with the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station. Using advanced model-based digital engineering, General Atomics accelerated development while optimizing combat capabilities. Its AI-driven autonomy core was trained over more than five years of flight testing with the MQ-20 Avenger®, providing a stealthy, air-to-air-capable platform that gives future warfighters a significant advantage. Ground testing began in May 2025. The program supports the Air Force’s plan to produce more than 1,000 Collaborative Combat Aircraft on an accelerated schedule. General Atomics has developed over two dozen uncrewed aircraft types and delivered more than 1,200 units globally. Its Poway, California facility produces over 100 aircraft annually. Its aircraft have logged nearly 9 million flight hours, with more than 50 aloft around the world at any given moment.