Wire flash
General Atomics delivers FQ-42 Vengeance autonomous jet to Creech AFB
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
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.
Source report
A Nevada Air Force Base has been selected to house General Atomics' FQ-42, one week after the U.S. Air Force designated the Collaborative Combat Aircraft as Vengeance.
On Friday, a new FQ-42 Vengeance aircraft was delivered to Creech Air Force Base, according to a Monday company release. The aircraft will continue regular test and evaluation operations to experiment with the new jet.
"Every week, the Air Force is pushing forward with new and more impressive accomplishments using Vengeance. It's amazing to think of how far this program has come in such a short amount of time," said Mike Atwood, Vice President of Advanced Programs, in the release.
Recent Exercises and Developments
The announcement follows two months after Creech conducted an Agile Combat Employment exercise using Anduril's FQ-44 Fury. That exercise allowed airmen to carry out sorties and build foundational tactics and procedures that will shape how Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) are integrated into the force.
Anduril has yet to announce which Air Force base will house Fury.
Capabilities and Testing
Vengeance features an internal weapons bay, low observability, and boosted survivability features. According to the statement, the aircraft flew alongside F-35 and F-15E Strike Eagles in preparation for collaborative control operations with manned aircraft.
Production Goals and Funding
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink recently revealed that the service expects to have at least 500 autonomous aircraft in service by 2032, designed to perform many of the same missions currently carried out by manned fighters.
"By then, our special operators will have the ability to employ thousands of autonomous one-way attack systems, and we will have autonomous fighters like the Collaborative Combat Aircraft," Meink said during his keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association's 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference.
General Atomics reported that the company completed a new "low-observable paint facility" aimed at supporting CCA production with increased manufacturing space. The company is on track to deliver six aircraft per month.
Vengeance's production is underway on General Atomics' own funding as "government funding plans mature," per the statement, in an effort to prevent delivery delays.
Budget Allocation
The service's fiscal 2027 request includes:
- $996.5 million in procurement funding for the CCA program
- $150 million in advanced procurement for the following fiscal year
- $1.37 billion in continued research and development
The total program request amounts to $2.37 billion.
About the Author
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs, and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024, where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
###### Share:
###### More In MilTech
Source
Defense NewsWestern