General Atomics YFQ-42A Drone Resumes Flights After April Crash
General Atomics' YFQ-42A 'Dark Merlin' collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) resumed flight testing on May 21, 2026, after a seven-week pause caused by an April 6 crash at a California airport. The crash, which destroyed the drone but caused no injuries, resulted from an autopilot miscalculation of weight and center of gravity. A joint Air Force-General Atomics investigation led to a software fix. The drone is competing against Anduril's YFQ-44A for the U.S. Air Force's CCA program, with a production decision expected by September 2026.
Cross-source coverage
Wire timeline
General Atomics CCA Drone Returns to Flight After April Crash
General Atomics' Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drone, the YFQ-42A, has returned to flight operations following a crash on April 6. Air Force Colonel Timothy Helfrich stated that the response to the incident validates the program's approach of accepting acquisition and test risk rather than operational risk, which allows the program to accelerate towards fielding. The drone's return marks a key milestone in the U.S. Air Force's effort to develop loyal wingman drones for future combat operations.
Breaking DefenseGeneral Atomics resumes drone-wingman flights after mishap
General Atomics announced on May 21, 2026, that its YFQ-42A 'Dark Merlin' collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) has resumed flight testing after a seven-week pause. The pause followed an April 6 crash at the company's California airport caused by an autopilot miscalculation of the aircraft's weight and center of gravity. A joint investigation by General Atomics and the U.S. Air Force identified the software issue, which has been fixed and endorsed by technical authorities. The aircraft was a total loss but no injuries occurred. General Atomics is competing against Anduril and Northrop Grumman for the Air Force's drone wingman program, with an Increment 1 production decision expected by September 2026. Air Force Col. Timothy Helfrich stated the incident validated the service's approach to accepting test risks to accelerate fielding, noting that Anduril's YFQ-44A continued flights during the pause, keeping overall CCA progress on track.
Defense One - All ContentGeneral Atomics resumes drone-wingman flights after mishap
General Atomics announced on May 21, 2026, that its YFQ-42A 'Dark Merlin' collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) drone wingman has resumed flight testing after a seven-week pause. The pause followed an April 6 crash at the company's California airport, which resulted in a total loss of the aircraft but no injuries. A joint investigation by General Atomics and the U.S. Air Force identified the cause as an autopilot miscalculation related to the aircraft's weight and center of gravity. A software fix was implemented and approved by technical authorities. The incident occurred during the Air Force's drone wingman competition, where General Atomics is competing against Anduril and Northrop Grumman. An Increment 1 production decision is expected by September 2026, with the Air Force requesting nearly $1 billion for initial CCA purchases. Air Force officials emphasized that the crash validated their risk-tolerant acquisition approach and did not slow overall program progress, as Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury continued flights during the pause.
Defense One - All ContentGeneral Atomics resumes drone-wingman flights after autopilot crash
General Atomics announced on May 21, 2026, that its YFQ-42A 'Dark Merlin' collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) has resumed flight testing after a seven-week pause following an April 6 crash at the company's California airport. The crash, which resulted in a total loss of the aircraft but no injuries, was caused by an autopilot miscalculation of the aircraft's weight and center of gravity. A joint investigation by the Air Force and General Atomics led to a software fix, which was endorsed by technical authorities. The company is competing against Anduril and Northrop Grumman for the Air Force's drone wingman program, with an Increment 1 production decision expected by September 2026. Air Force Col. Timothy Helfrich emphasized that the incident validated the service's willingness to accept test risks to accelerate fielding, and that overall CCA progress continued using Anduril's YFQ-44A aircraft during the pause.
Defense One - All ContentGeneral Atomics resumes drone-wingman flights after mishap
General Atomics announced on May 21, 2026, that its YFQ-42A 'Dark Merlin' collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) has resumed flight testing after a seven-week pause caused by an April 6 crash. The crash, which resulted in a total loss of the aircraft but no injuries, was traced to an autopilot miscalculation of weight and center of gravity. A joint investigation by the Air Force and General Atomics led to a software fix. The company is competing against Anduril and Northrop Grumman for the Air Force's drone wingman program, with an Increment 1 production decision expected by September. Air Force Col. Timothy Helfrich emphasized that the incident validated the service's willingness to accept test risks to accelerate fielding, noting that Anduril's YFQ-44A continued flights during the pause, ensuring overall program momentum.
Defense One - All ContentYFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft Returns to Flight with Software Fix After Crash
The YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), built by General Atomics, has resumed flight testing after a six-week pause following a crash in early April near a California desert airport. A safety review determined the crash was caused by an autopilot miscalculation for the aircraft's weight and center of gravity. General Atomics updated the drone's software, and flights have resumed. The autopilot software is separate from the mission autonomy software being developed by Shield AI and Collins Aerospace. The Air Force is considering the YFQ-42A and Anduril's YFQ-44A for the first increment of its CCA program, with a production decision expected by fiscal 2026. During the pause, the Air Force conducted exercises with the YFQ-44A, flown by airmen from the Experimental Operations Unit. Officials emphasized that the program's multi-vendor approach and risk-tolerant acquisition strategy allowed progress to continue despite the setback.
Air & Space Forces MagazineYFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft Returns to Flight with Software Fix After Crash
The YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft, built by General Atomics, has resumed flight testing after a six-week pause following a crash in early April. A safety review determined the crash was caused by an autopilot miscalculation for the aircraft's weight and center of gravity. General Atomics updated the drone's software, and flights have resumed. The autopilot software is separate from the mission autonomy software being developed by Shield AI and Collins Aerospace. The Air Force is considering the YFQ-42A and Anduril's YFQ-44A for the first increment of its CCA program, with a production decision expected by fiscal 2026. During the pause, the Air Force conducted an experimental exercise with the YFQ-44A, flown by airmen from the Experimental Operations Unit. Officials emphasized that the program's multi-vendor approach and risk-tolerant acquisition strategy allowed progress to continue despite the setback.
Air & Space Forces MagazineYFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft Returns to Flight with Software Fix After Crash
The YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) has resumed flight testing after a six-week pause following a crash in early April. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced the return to flight on May 21, stating that a safety review by the Air Force and GA determined the crash was caused by an autopilot miscalculation for the aircraft's weight and center of gravity. The drone was destroyed near a General Atomics airport in the California desert, with no injuries. The company updated the drone's software, and flights have resumed. The autopilot software is separate from the mission autonomy software being developed by Shield AI and Collins Aerospace. The Air Force is considering the YFQ-42A and Anduril's YFQ-44A for the first increment of its CCA program, with a production decision expected in fiscal 2026. During the pause, the Air Force conducted exercises with the YFQ-44A, demonstrating continued progress in the multi-vendor program.
Air & Space Forces MagazineYFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft Returns to Flight with Software Fix After Crash
The YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), built by General Atomics, has resumed flight testing after a six-week pause caused by a crash in early April. A safety review determined the crash resulted from an autopilot miscalculation of the aircraft's weight and center of gravity. General Atomics updated the drone's software, and flights have resumed. The autopilot software is separate from the mission autonomy software being developed by Shield AI and Collins Aerospace. The Air Force is considering the YFQ-42A and Anduril's YFQ-44A for the first increment of its CCA program, with a production decision expected by fiscal 2026. During the pause, the Air Force conducted an experimental exercise with the YFQ-44A, flown by airmen from the Experimental Operations Unit. Officials emphasized that the program's multi-vendor approach and risk-tolerant acquisition strategy allowed overall progress to continue.
Air & Space Forces Magazine