General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems, announced its excitement to participate in the 25th anniversary of the International Combat Aircraft Conference as the event’s only “Four-Star Lead Partner,” reflecting its global commitment to the future of autonomous warfare.

GA-ASI’s growing production fleet of unmanned combat aircraft—including the MQ-20 Avenger®, XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station, and YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA)—is shaping the global future of autonomous and semi-autonomous combat aircraft. The company continues to strengthen its leadership position in autonomy development, manned-unmanned mission collaboration (MUM-T), and scalable, rapid, and cost-effective production. GA-ASI’s modular and scalable Gambit Series unmanned combat aircraft enable U.S. forces and allied and partner nations to rapidly adapt to the future of air combat.

GA-ASI, which publicly announced its commitment to develop and fly a production representative unmanned combat aircraft for the U.S. Air Force by the summer of 2025, ushered in a new era for combat aircraft in August with the unveiling of the YFQ-42A CCA. Test flights are currently underway on the expanding fleet, reinforcing GA-ASI’s leadership in unmanned aerial systems development and delivery while also confirming adherence to announced schedules and commitments.

Unmanned Combat Aircraft

“The YFQ-42A is a revolutionary aircraft, and this fleet is both in production and in the air today. This is not a ‘wait and see’ moment. We are flying, we are delivering, and we are advancing the future of combat aviation—just as we have done for the past three decades,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander.

Since 1992, GA-ASI has delivered more than 1,300 combat aircraft to U.S. forces and international partners, and by 2025, it has accumulated over 9 million flight hours. The Predator®, Reaper®, Gray Eagle®, SkyGuardian®, and SeaGuardian® platforms continue to set performance standards in the medium-altitude–long-endurance (MALE) class.

The company’s MQ-20 Avenger, a self-funded unmanned combat jet that completed its first flight in 2009, serves as a testbed for advanced autonomy integration and demonstrations. The aircraft continues its flight testing, integrating the latest software developed by the US government, leading industry suppliers, and GA-ASI’s own autonomy software teams, largely funded by the company.

GA-ASI plans to offer attendees a firsthand look at the future at the International Combat Aircraft Conference in Rome from November 4–6. A full-scale mock-up of the YFQ-42A CCA will be displayed at the event, and additional announcements will be made.