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US Air Force announces mission designation for Anduril and GA-ASI’s CCA prototypes

4th March 2025 - 10:40 GMT | by Lucy Powell

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The USAF designation for the new CCAs marks a first in a new generation of uncrewed combat aircraft. (Photo: USAF / X)

The news follows confirmation from GA-ASI that it will fly its CCA prototype this year and signals the next step in the collaborative combat aircraft programme.

The United States Air Force (USAF) has announced that Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes have been given a mission design series (MSD) designation.

For Anduril’s Fury and GA-ASI’s XQ-67A platform – named YFQ-44A and YFQ-42A, respectively – this announcement marks the first aircraft type with a YFQ designation: Y denoting prototype, F meaning fighter and Q noting uncrewed.

USAF Chief of Staff General David Allvin said in a statement on X that this marked “a big step in the military aviation world” and demonstrated “incredible progress toward the Department of Defense’s charge to

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