The YFQ-42A Combined Combat Aircraft (CCA) is the Loyal Wingman model (a type of unmanned combat aircraft equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) to fly with and directly support manned aircraft) developed by the leading US military contractor - General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), which has just completed a semi-automatic test flight lasting more than four hours, marking an important step in the roadmap to improve autonomous capabilities for military unmanned systems.
In the latest test, the YFQ-42A is integrated with Sidekick Collaborative Mission Autonomy software developed by Collins Aerospace, a member unit of the RTX military corporation.
This combination allows the drone's mission system to communicate seamlessly with the autonomous platform, ensuring that commands are executed accurately and stably.
According to GA-ASI, during flight, the ground control station activated self-propelled mode and sent a series of missions directly to the aircraft.
YFQ-42A then automatically performs high-precision requests for more than four hours of continuous operation.
The test showed the autonomy of the Sidekick software as well as the flexibility of the flight control system, capable of responding to many different combat scenarios.
Mr. David R. Alexander, Chairman of GA-ASI, said that the integration of Sidekick into YFQ-42A demonstrates the company's commitment to innovation and improving operational efficiency in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles.
He emphasized that cooperation with Collins Aerospace helps bring advanced autonomous solutions, serving increasingly complex combat requirements.
From Collins Aerospace, Mr. Ryan Bunge, Vice President in charge of Strategic Defense Solutions, said that the rapid integration of Sidekick into General Atomics' platform proves the power of the open system method.
According to Mr. Ryan Bunge, this technology can immediately support many combat-related behaviors, while maintaining flexibility in future upgrades.
GA-ASI describes the combination of YFQ-42A and Sidekick as a step towards new generation self-propelled systems for defense, and may even establish new standards for self-propelled combat capabilities.
Loyal Wingman, with the role of coordinating with manned aircraft, is expected to help expand the combat range, reduce risks for pilots and increase mission efficiency.
In the near future, GA-ASI is expected to continue advanced self-propelled flight tests for the YFQ-42A, following previous milestones such as takeoff and landing automatically with just one button.
These steps show the increasing trend of automation in the defense sector, where drones are increasingly playing a central role in modern combat strategies.
