General Atomics delivers FQ-42 Vengeance autonomous jet to Creech AFB for testing
General Atomics delivered a new FQ-42 Vengeance autonomous aircraft to Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, on September 18, 2026, for continued test and evaluation as part of the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Both General Atomics and Anduril Industries have announced readiness for volume production while awaiting fiscal 2027 budget approval. The Air Force plans to field at least 500 CCAs by 2032.
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CCA Builders Rev Up Production Rates as They Await Fiscal 2027 Funding
General Atomics and Anduril Industries have announced readiness to ramp up production of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) while awaiting fiscal 2027 budget approval. General Atomics states it can produce six FQ-42A Vengeance drones per month and could expand further, self-funding production to prevent delays. Anduril aims to build 150 FQ-44A Fury aircraft annually at its new Arsenal-1 facility in Ohio. The Air Force's 2027 budget request includes $996.5 million for CCA procurement plus $150 million in advance procurement for 2028, though exact aircraft numbers are unspecified. Both companies have delivered test aircraft to Creech Air Force Base's Experimental Operations Unit. Anduril's Fury demonstrated that a single operator could launch and recover the aircraft after minimal training. The Air Force plans to field at least 500 CCAs by 2032, using them as semi-autonomous complements to crewed fighters for missions including air-to-air combat, surveillance, and electronic warfare.
Read sourceCCA Builders Rev Up Production Rates as They Await Fiscal 2027 Budget Funding
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. and Anduril Industries have announced readiness to ramp up production of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) while awaiting fiscal 2027 budget approval. General Atomics stated it can produce six FQ-42A Vengeance drones per month and could expand further, self-funding current production. Anduril aims to build 150 FQ-44A Fury aircraft annually at its new Arsenal-1 facility in Ohio. The U.S. Air Force's 2027 budget request includes $996.5 million for CCA procurement plus $150 million in advance procurement for 2028, though exact aircraft numbers are unspecified. Both companies have delivered test aircraft to the Air Force's Experimental Operations Unit at Creech Air Force Base. Anduril reported that during a July exercise, a single Air Force operator launched and recovered a Fury after just hours of training, operating mission autonomy independently. General Atomics noted its FQ-42 has flown in formation with F-35 and F-15E jets. The Air Force plans to field at least 500 CCAs by 2032 to complement crewed fighters.
Read sourceGeneral Atomics delivers FQ-42 Vengeance autonomous aircraft to Creech Air Force Base
General Atomics delivered a new FQ-42 Vengeance aircraft to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada on Friday, September 18, 2026, according to a company release. The jet will continue regular test and evaluation operations to experiment with the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Vice President of Advanced Programs Mike Atwood praised the program's rapid progress. The delivery follows an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Creech using Anduril's FQ-44 Fury, which helped build foundational tactics for CCA integration. Vengeance, featuring an internal weapons bay and low observability, has flown alongside F-35 and F-15E Strike Eagles. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink stated the service expects at least 500 autonomous aircraft in service by 2032, performing missions similar to manned fighters. General Atomics completed a new low-observable paint facility and is on track to deliver six aircraft per month, funding production internally to avoid delays. The fiscal 2027 budget request includes $2.37 billion for the CCA program, with $996.5 million in procurement funding.
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General Atomics delivers FQ-42 Vengeance to Creech Air Force Base for testing
General Atomics delivered a new FQ-42 Vengeance aircraft to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada on Friday, September 18, 2026, according to a company release. The aircraft will continue regular test and evaluation operations to experiment with the new jet, which is part of the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Vice President of Advanced Programs Mike Atwood praised the program's rapid progress. The delivery follows an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Creech using Anduril's FQ-44 Fury. Vengeance features an internal weapons bay, low observability, and boosted survivability, and has flown alongside F-35 and F-15E Strike Eagles. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink stated the service expects at least 500 autonomous aircraft in service by 2032, performing missions similar to manned fighters. General Atomics completed a new low-observable paint facility and is on track to deliver six aircraft per month, funding production internally to avoid delays. The fiscal 2027 budget request includes $2.37 billion for the CCA program.
General Atomics delivers FQ-42 Vengeance autonomous jet to Creech Air Force Base
General Atomics delivered a new FQ-42 Vengeance aircraft to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada on Friday, September 18, 2026, according to a company release. The jet will continue regular test and evaluation operations to experiment with the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Vice President of Advanced Programs Mike Atwood praised the program's rapid progress. The delivery follows an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Creech using Anduril's FQ-44 Fury, which helped build foundational tactics for CCA integration. Vengeance, featuring an internal weapons bay and low observability, has flown alongside F-35 and F-15E Strike Eagles for collaborative control operations. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink forecasted that the service expects at least 500 autonomous aircraft in service by 2032, performing missions similar to manned fighters. General Atomics completed a new low-observable paint facility and is on track to deliver six aircraft per month, funding production internally to avoid delays. The fiscal 2027 budget request includes $2.37 billion for the CCA program, covering procurement, advanced procurement, and research and development.