SAN DIEGO – 23 February 2026 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is giving its U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft a new name: YFQ-42A Dark Merlin.
Dark merlins, deadly falcons known for their black feathers and devouring of other falcons as prey, often collaborate in groups for maximum effect against their targets. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology describes the merlin as a “small, fierce falcon that uses surprise attacks” to bring down its prey in flight. The dark merlin is native to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, often migrating into southern California, where bird spotters routinely report seeing them near the YFQ-42A’s manufacturing home in San Diego.
The 1962 book “Profiles of the Future” imagined global technological marvels yet to change the world, offering that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” It’s no coincidence that the Dark Merlin name also reflects the wizardry of Merlin from Arthurian legend, paying homage to the somewhat supernatural new era of semi-autonomous air combat.
“Dark merlins are hunting machines, built for speed and aerodynamics,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “They harass other falcons for fun, and they eat what they kill. The name sums up our new uncrewed fighter perfectly.”
The U.S. Air Force official prefix “Y” denotes that the initial few aircraft are early, production-representative test models, while “F” denotes fighter and “Q” denotes uncrewed aircraft. When aircraft enter production, they drop the “Y” – for example, the YF-16 became the F-16 with the nickname “Fighting Falcon” – and GA-ASI expects its new CCA to become the FQ-42A with the nickname “Dark Merlin.”
The Dark Merlin has been stacking up milestones and achievements since GA-ASI was selected by the U.S. Air Force in April 2024 to build production-representative flight test articles for the CCA program. In August 2025, YFQ-42A delivered the U.S. Air Force its first successful CCA flight and followed that this month with the service’s first CCA flight using mission autonomy software. Between those milestones, GA-ASI has built and flown multiple Dark Merlins, conducting push-button autonomous takeoffs and landings and other accomplishments as the test program continues.
YFQ-42A Dark Merlin is a purpose-built CCA platform developed as part of GA-ASI’s ongoing investment in next-generation autonomous combat aircraft. The aircraft’s modular design enables rapid integration of mission systems. GA-ASI’s autonomy architecture, demonstrated through multiple live flight tests, provides the foundation for human-machine teaming in complex combat scenarios.
GA-ASI has been building and flying uncrewed jets for nearly two decades, beginning with the company-funded, weaponized MQ-20 Avenger® in 2008. Ongoing company investment in Avenger continues to yield results, as the aircraft routinely serves as a CCA surrogate for advanced autonomy development and testing in both government programs and company-funded research and development. The company’s XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station jet, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, offers a cutting-edge model for autonomous collaborative platforms with advanced airborne sensing and served as a flying prototype for YFQ-42A Dark Merlin.
Photo courtesy GA-ASI
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced the YFQ-42A Dark Merlin, a new uncrewed fighter aircraft, on 23 February 2026 in San Diego. The Dark Merlin is designed for collaborative combat and has achieved significant milestones in flight testing, including successful autonomous operations. GA-ASI expects the aircraft to enter production as FQ-42A, reflecting its advanced capabilities in modern air combat.
- GA-ASI announced the YFQ-42A Dark Merlin on 23 February 2026.
- The Dark Merlin is an uncrewed fighter aircraft designed for collaborative combat.
- It has achieved significant milestones in flight testing and mission autonomy.
- The aircraft is expected to enter production as FQ-42A.
- The design allows for rapid integration of mission systems.