The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has selected General Atomics’ YFQ-42 combat drone to test integration between unmanned aerial vehicles and manned combat aircraft as part of the MUX TACAIR program.
This platform will be equipped with a ‘digital brain’ provided by the US Marine Corps and will be used as an alternative test aircraft in tests to evaluate how the so-called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) can operate organically within the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) concept.
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The YFQ-42 is already included in the United States Air Force (USAF)’s CCA program and is currently in the flight test phase. However, participation in the U.S. Marine Corps evaluation is considered a new development. So far, the Marine Corps has focused its autonomy experiments primarily on Kratos’ XQ-58 Valkyrie, which is currently being developed into the MQ-58. The addition of General Atomics devices will expand the scope of analysis and may impact future program development phases.
According to the manufacturer, the contract includes rapid development of autonomy technologies for sensor-rich, software-defined, modular mission packages. The package is designed to perform both kinetic (kinetic) and non-kinetic (non-kinetic) effects in expeditionary operations. The open architecture of the Gambit family on which the YFQ-42 is based is designed to facilitate the integration of various artificial intelligence systems, sensors, and weapon systems, enabling rapid adaptation as operational needs change.
Currently, the YFQ-42 serves as a test platform, but General Atomics believes the model may be considered for subsequent phases of the MUX TACAIR program in the future, particularly the ‘Increment 2’ phase targeted for the next 10 years. This decision demonstrates the growing trend of the CCA concept, where solutions from a variety of suppliers with different airframe structures and ‘digital brains’ are integrated into manned aircraft.
source: The War Zone | Photo: X @GenAtomics_ASI | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
GA-ASI was selected by the U.S. Marine Corps for evaluation in the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft CCA program.
This selection initiates the integration of a Marine Corps mission kit into the #YFQ42A and the rapid development on of… pic.twitter.com/7EMfuRgmuQ
— General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc (GA-ASI) (@GenAtomics_ASI) February 10, 2026
