General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has partnered with Boeing segment Spirit Defense to manufacture fuselages for the FQ-42 Vengeance unmanned aerial system, aiming to scale production for the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
Under the agreement, Spirit Defense will serve as a design-build coordinator for the 30-foot (9-meter) drone, leveraging its advanced manufacturing capabilities to support the program from architectural drafting to full production.
The collaboration is expected to grow critical industrial capacity and reduce single-point failure risks as the military accelerates its autonomous combat aircraft fleet effort.
During the announcement, GA-ASI also revealed plans to discuss international manufacturing and technology integration with global militaries interested in its modular Gambit drone series, on which the FQ-42’s airframe was based.
“Our team understands the responsibility that comes with supporting critical national defense programs, and we’re ready to deliver for our customer and the warfighter,” said Keith Schrader, president and CEO of Spirit Defense.
GA-ASI President David Alexander added that the agreement promotes a scalable industrial base required by Washington’s current military readiness standards.
“With Spirit Defense we add capacity, which is exactly the kind of production resilience our US Air Force customer is looking for with its CCA ramp-up,” Alexander stated.
‘Loyal Wingman’ Program
The US Air Force’s CCA initiative aims to field “loyal wingman” drones that will fly alongside manned fighter jets, extending the military’s operational reach and lethality to maintain airspace dominance without risking personnel.
Functions of the autonomous fleet will encompass air-to-air strikes, scouting, and electronic warfare applications.
In 2032, the service plans to deploy approximately 500 combat-ready CCA airframes, with projections eventually scaling the total fleet to 1,000 uncrewed platforms.