Air Force Announces 1st Test Flight of Drone Fighter Jet

The General Atomics YFQ-42A is one of two drone fighter jet designs under consideration as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

A YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft takes off during flight testing at a California test location. U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force announced it has conducted the first test flight of a prototype drone fighter jet.

“The aircraft, designated YFQ-42A and developed in partnership with General Atomics, flew at a California test location contributing valuable data to continued evaluations of platform airworthiness, flight autonomy, and mission system integration,” the service said in an Aug. 27 press statement.