Semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft flight conducted using mission autonomy software
Eletter Product
SAN DIEGO, California. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems says it flew its YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft in a semi-autonomous mission after integrating mission autonomy software from Collins Aerospace, the company announced in a statement.
General Atomics says the test integrated Collins’ Sidekick Collaborative Mission Autonomy software with the YFQ-42A flight control system using the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA), the statement reads. The company says the architecture supported data exchange between the autonomy software and the aircraft’s mission systems during the event, the statement adds.
Autonomy mode was enabled through a ground station console, and a human operator transmitted mission-level commands to the aircraft while it remained airborne for more than four hours, the statement reads. The company says the flight was part of a development schedule that began with initial YFQ-42A flights in August 2025 and has since included additional aircraft and autonomous takeoff and landing testing, the statement adds.
General Atomics says the YFQ-42A was developed for the United States Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft effort, the statement reads.
