General Atomics delivers FQ-42 Vengeance to Creech, says it can supply six uncrewed fighters a month for the U.S. Air Force – Defence Industry Europe

General Atomics delivers FQ-42 Vengeance to Creech, says it can supply six uncrewed fighters a month for the U.S. Air Force  Defence Industry Europe

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has delivered an FQ-42 Vengeance to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada for further U.S. Air Force testing. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has delivered an FQ-42 Vengeance to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada for further U.S. Air Force testing. The aircraft arrived on September 18 and will operate with test and evaluation units supporting the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The delivery advances a program that has moved from contractor selection to initial production in less than three years. General Atomics said it is positioned to deliver six aircraft per month and has additional manufacturing space available for further orders. “The CCA program’s rate of progress has been incredible,” said Mike Atwood, GA-ASI Vice President of Advanced Programs.

“Every week, the Air Force is pushing forward with new and more impressive accomplishments using Vengeance.” General Atomics describes the FQ-42 as a fifth-generation uncrewed fighter with an internal weapons bay. The aircraft also incorporates low-observable features intended to improve survivability. The FQ-42 has flown in formation with F-35 Lightning II and F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft. Those flights prepared the platform for collaborative control trials with crewed fighters. The planned trials build on earlier General Atomics demonstrations using the MQ-20 Avenger as a CCA surrogate. The company has also operated the FQ-42 with the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station