Collaborative Combat Aircraft program

Apr- 2026 -

7 April

General Atomics’ Dark Merlin Drone Crashes During CCA Flight Test

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.’s drone prototype for the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program has crashed following a mishap after takeoff.

Feb- 2026 -

24 February

Air

Rojoef Manuel

General Atomics Names Loyal Wingman Prototype YFQ-42A ‘Dark Merlin’

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. has selected “Dark Merlin” as the name for its YFQ-42A unmanned aerial system bid under the US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

16 February

Americas

Anduril’s drone prototype for the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, designated YFQ-44A.

Christine Casimiro

USAF Picks Shield AI’s Hivemind Autonomy Software for CCA YFQ-44A

The US Air Force has selected Shield AI to supply its mission autonomy software for a Collaborative Combat Aircraft program drone prototype.

Dec- 2025 -

29 December

Air

The U.S. Air Force announced, Dec. 22, the designation of YFQ-48A – seen here in an undated photo – as the Mission Design Series (MDS) for Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon, a semi-autonomous prototype aircraft. This designation marks a key step forward in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. (U.S. Air Force photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman)

Rojoef Manuel

Northrop Grumman’s Talon Drone Gets ‘YFQ-48A’ US Air Force Designation

The US Air Force has designated Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon semi-autonomous system as the “YFQ-48A,” marking its formal entry into the service’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

8 December

Air

Christine Casimiro

Saab, Airbus in Talks to Collaborate on Uncrewed Combat Aircraft

European defense giants Saab and Airbus are in talks to collaborate on unmanned combat aircraft technology to support piloted fighter jets, similar to the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).

Oct- 2025 -

21 October

Air

Ethan M. Encarnacion

Spain Runs ‘First-of-Its-Kind’ AI Combat Cloud Trial in Europe

In a demonstration with the Spanish Air Force and Space Force, Indra took its Nimbus combat cloud solution to the skies, calling it Europe’s first steps in AI-driven collaborative combat.

20 October

Air