Overview
- During a recent Edwards AFB flight, an F-22 pilot used Autonodyne’s Bashi interface to task the autonomous aircraft with tactical maneuvers, patrols, waypoint changes, and threat‑engagement actions.
- General Atomics formally nicknamed the YFQ‑42A “Dark Merlin,” drawing on the aggressive falcon and the Merlin of Arthurian legend to frame the uncrewed fighter’s identity.
- The company says multiple Dark Merlin airframes have been built and flown, including autonomous takeoffs and landings, following the Air Force’s first successful CCA flight in August 2025.
- The Air Force used its A‑GRA framework to run RTX Collins autonomy software on GA‑ASI’s YFQ‑42 and Shield AI technology on Anduril’s YFQ‑44, with Northrop targeting a first flight this year.
- General Atomics reports Dark Merlin is in production, and separate reporting indicates the Marine Corps plans to use the platform as a testing surrogate for its own CCA efforts.