General Atomics Joins European ‘Loyal Wingman’ Race After Kratos, Anduril
General Atomics plans to introduce a European collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) based on the US Air Force’s YFQ-42A prototype.
The proposed unmanned aircraft will be assembled in Europe and have European mission systems, customized and produced with the help of the US firm’s German affiliate, General Atomics Aerotec Systems.
“We’re eager to combine our uncrewed aircraft system expertise with the airborne sensor and weapons system expertise of the European defense industry, starting with our own affiliate GA Aerotec Systems GmbH in Germany,” General Atomics CEO Linden Blue said.
“With a proven CCA design already in production today, these systems will be delivered in significant quantities with high-technology European inputs to build and sustain affordable mass for NATO’s fighter forces.”
Other CCA Offerings
This is the third CCA offering by a US firm to Europe within a month, following Anduril’s YFQ-44 Fury and Kratos’ XQ-58A Valkyrie.
For their offerings, Anduril has partnered with Rheinmetall, while Kratos is teaming with Airbus Defence and Space.
Both Rheinmetall and Airbus Defence and Space are based in Germany.
Incidentally, the YFQ-44 and YFQ-42A are also finalists in the US Air Force’s CCA program, which aims to develop a futuristic unmanned aerial platform based on the concept of manned-unmanned teaming.
The YFQ-42A is currently in ground testing and is scheduled for first flight later this summer.
European CCA Requirements
The proposals aim to provide European air forces with a networked combat unmanned aircraft before the operationalization of the continent’s two sixth-generation combat aircraft programs: the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).
Likely to materialize after 2035, the programs have a manned and unmanned aircraft flying together to undertake complex missions.
The FCAS includes France, Germany, and Spain, while the GCAP comprises the UK, Japan, and Italy.
In anticipation of future requirements, the German Air Force is reportedly looking to train its personnel in the manned-unmanned teaming concept for which a CCA platform with sovereign mission systems could be required.
“We will supply a mature aircraft baseline already well along in its development, and we’ll look forward to German and other European national partnerships to bring these aircraft online in European and NATO air forces as the Continent grows a new generation of highly capable defense systems,” Blue concluded.
