Drones have been around for a long time, but they’ve only become major players in global military operations in the late 20th century. That’s when aircraft like the RQ-1 (later MQ-1) Predator first flew the unfriendly skies. Initially, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV) were primarily used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), but after the U.S. Air Force strapped some AGM-114 Hellfire missiles onto the Predator, things changed. These days, some of the best military drones are uncrewed combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs).
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Still, while some drones are incredibly fast and capable of reaching great speeds, most can’t. Drones are typically far slower than fighter jets, making them incomparable and outclassed by their larger, crewed cousins. Because of this, UCAVs are primarily used for striking targets on the ground or floating on the water, but that’s changing. In March 2025, the U.S. Air Force classified two new drones in development as “fighter drones,” a designation that’s never been applied previously.
These new aircraft, currently designated YFQ-42A and YQF-44A, are designed not to strike stationary or slow-moving targets — they’re meant to engage in air-to-air combat. The new drones are part of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program supported by General Atomics, which is working on the YFQ-42A, and Anduril, which is developing the YFQ-44A. They’re in development, and if they make it to production, they represent a drastic shift in combat potential for UCAVs, opening the door for a new breed of fast-moving interceptor aircraft. Here’s everything we know about the Air Force’s newest fighter drones.
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How fighter drones are different from other UCAVs
Regarding their unusual names, the “F” stands for fighter, the “Q” for drone, and the “Y” designates them as prototypes. The new drones and the CCA represent a change in strategy, tactics, and technology in engaging airborne threats. The YFQ-42A and YQF-44A will operate semi-autonomously in tandem with crewed fighters, functioning as what the Air Force calls “loyal wingmen.” They will fly alongside crewed aircraft to provide support and engage targets independent of or in conjunction with fighters.
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During his keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2025 Warfare Symposium, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin told the Air Force, “For the first time in our history, we have a fighter designation in the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A. It may be just symbolic, but we are telling the world we are leaning into a new chapter of aerial warfare. It means collaborative combat aircraft; it means human-machine teaming. We are developing those capabilities by thinking, ‘mission first. ‘”
The new fighter drones are different from the Hunter-Killer drones used throughout military conflicts in the 21st century. That said, not a lot is known about their intended specifications, weapon loads, sensors, endurance, or much else. Those details may emerge as development continues, but what is known and is important is that the Air Force is working hard with military contractors to create UCAV fighter drones capable of supporting fighter jets as a force multiplier for air superiority missions anywhere crewed fighter jets operate. The new UCAVs are expected to begin flight-testing operations in the Summer of 2025.
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