Overview
- General Atomics’ YFQ-42A completed its first semi-autonomous mission using Collins Aerospace’s Sidekick software, executing ground-directed commands accurately for more than four hours.
- The Air Force confirmed A‑GRA integration on both prototypes—GA‑ASI’s YFQ‑42A and Anduril’s YFQ‑44A—demonstrating third‑party mission autonomy running across different airframes.
- Anduril and Shield AI said YFQ‑44A flight tests with Shield’s Hivemind autonomy are expected soon, with Shield indicating demonstrations in the coming months.
- Program leaders said verifying A‑GRA across partners is central to a competitive, software‑first ecosystem that enables rapid algorithm updates and avoids dependence on a single vendor.
- The CCA initiative envisions at least 1,000 uncrewed aircraft to support strike, reconnaissance, electronic warfare and decoy missions alongside crewed fighters.