Collaborative Combat Aircraft to be evaluated for U.S. Marine Corps by General Atomics
NewsFebruary 11, 2026
SAN DIEGO, California. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems was chosen by the United States Marine Corps to support evaluations under the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, the company announced in a statement.
The effort will integrate a government-provided mission package into the company’s YFQ-42A platform, which will serve as a surrogate aircraft for integration and operational assessments, the statement reads. The program is intended to evaluate how the system operates alongside crewed fighter aircraft within Marine Corps expeditionary operations, the company says.
The contract includes development of autonomy software for a sensor-focused, software-defined mission kit designed to deliver both kinetic and non-kinetic effects, the statement adds. The work is intended to inform future MUX TACAIR capabilities, according to the company.
General Atomics says the YFQ-42A first flew in August 2025 as part of the broader Collaborative Combat Aircraft effort and is designed around a modular architecture intended to support different mission sets, the statement reads.
