General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has reached a significant milestone in unmanned aviation, successfully conducting the first semi-autonomous flight of its YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) using third-party mission autonomy software. The flight marks a major step forward in the integration of advanced autonomous capabilities into next-generation combat aircraft.
The test, conducted this month, utilized mission autonomy software called Sidekick, developed by Collins Aerospace, an RTX business. The software was seamlessly integrated with the YFQ-42A’s flight control systems using the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA), a standardized framework that enables reliable data exchange between autonomy applications and aircraft mission systems.
During the four-hour flight, operators on the ground activated autonomy mode through a Ground Station Console. Once enabled, a human autonomy operator transmitted various commands to the aircraft, which executed the instructions with high precision throughout the mission. The successful demonstration highlights both the effectiveness of Sidekick’s mission autonomy capabilities and the flexibility of the A-GRA standard in supporting complex operational requirements.
“We are excited to collaborate with Collins to deliver enhanced autonomous mission solutions,” said David R. Alexander, president of GA-ASI. “The integration of Sidekick with our YFQ-42A demonstrates our commitment to innovation and operational excellence in unmanned aircraft technology.”
Ryan Bunge, vice president and general manager for Strategic Defense Solutions at Collins Aerospace, emphasized the significance of the achievement. “The autonomy capabilities showcased in this flight highlight our dedicated investment to advance collaborative mission autonomy. The rapid integration of Sidekick onto this General Atomics platform and its immediate ability to support a broad spectrum of combat-relevant behaviors underscores the strength and flexibility of our open systems approach.”
This milestone follows an aggressive development schedule for the YFQ-42A program. Since August 2025, when the first YFQ-42A Tail One aircraft began initial flights, GA-ASI has built and flown multiple examples of the aircraft, demonstrating capabilities including push-button autonomous takeoffs and landings.
The company brings nearly two decades of experience in uncrewed jet aircraft development to the CCA program. Since introducing the company-funded, weaponized MQ-20 Avenger in 2008, GA-ASI has continuously advanced autonomous technologies. The Avenger routinely serves as a surrogate platform for testing CCA autonomy concepts in both government programs and company-funded research initiatives.
As a family-owned defense company for more than 30 years, GA-ASI reinvests over 35 percent of annual revenue into internal research and development, consistently building capabilities ahead of formal requirements. This approach has led to numerous innovations, including recent demonstrations featuring multiple AI pilots on the same flight and advanced manned-unmanned teaming with fighter aircraft.
The YFQ-42A builds on foundational work including the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station, developed with the Air Force Research Laboratory. That program validated the “genus/species” concept, enabling multiple aircraft variants from a common core chassis—an approach now extended through GA-ASI’s Gambit Series, which envisions missionized variants for diverse operational roles including sensing and air-to-air combat.
