YFQ-48 Unmanned Aircraft Emerges as Next-Generation Drone for U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Program.

The U.S. Air Force has revealed the YFQ-48 as a next-generation unmanned combat aircraft developed under its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. Designed to fly alongside manned fighters, the platform represents a major step toward scalable, semi-autonomous airpower in future conflicts.

At the end of December 2025, the U.S. Air Force quietly signaled a major shift in its future force structure with the emergence of the YFQ-48, a next-generation unmanned aircraft tied to Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon. The system is being developed as part of the service’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. This initiative pairs semi-autonomous aircraft with manned fighters to expand combat reach, improve survivability, and operate effectively in high-threat environments.
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An image of Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon, now officially designated YFQ-48A by the U.S. Air Force as of December 22, 2025. The semi-autonomous unmanned aircraft represents a major milestone in the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. (Image courtesy of Northrop Grumman/U.S. Air Force)

The U.S. Air Force CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) program aims to develop and field a new generation of unmanned aircraft capable of performing strike, sensing, and electronic warfare missions in support of manned platforms like the F-35 and future Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighters. These unmanned systems are central to the Air Force’s strategy of increasing combat mass, survivability, and operational flexibility across distributed air operations. The official designation of the YFQ-48A underscores the system’s technical maturity and Northrop Grumman’s continued progress in meeting Air Force requirements for rapid innovation, low-cost production, and operational adaptability.

Project Talon, now designated YFQ-48A, is believed to incorporate a high degree of onboard autonomy, a modular open-systems architecture, and mission-configurable payloads. Although technical specifications remain classified, the aircraft is expected to feature advanced AI-driven flight systems and the ability to perform a variety of missions without direct human control. The platform is optimized for teaming with crewed aircraft, enabling joint manned-unmanned strike packages and tactical flexibility in contested and denied environments.

The CCA program’s acquisition model prioritizes iterative development and sustained competition, offering multiple on-ramps for industry partners at various stages. In 2025, the Air Force awarded the first Increment 1 contracts for engineering and manufacturing development, initiating the pathway toward production and operational fielding later in the decade. The emergence of the YFQ-48A signals Northrop Grumman’s deepening involvement in this high-stakes program and reflects the company’s legacy of pioneering unmanned aviation, including platforms such as the X-47B and RQ-180.

With the global security environment increasingly shaped by great-power competition, unmanned combat aircraft like the YFQ-48A are poised to redefine how the United States conducts air warfare. The formal designation not only validates the system’s potential but positions it as a critical enabler of future air dominance. As the Air Force moves aggressively to field CCA systems before the end of the decade, the YFQ-48A stands as a concrete example of how unmanned technology is transitioning from experimental concept to operational capability.

The Collaborative Combat Aircraft program represents one of the most ambitious shifts in U.S. airpower strategy since the Cold War. Rather than focusing solely on manned platforms, the CCA initiative envisions a hybrid force in which a smaller number of highly capable, crewed fighters are teamed with larger numbers of lower-cost, unmanned aircraft tailored for specific missions. These collaborative aircraft, often described as “loyal wingmen,” are designed to fly autonomously or under the control of a manned lead aircraft, providing force multiplication and mission resilience against technologically advanced adversaries.

Central to the CCA concept is the ability to distribute risk, reduce dependency on high-value assets, and complicate an adversary’s targeting calculus. Unmanned platforms like the YFQ-48A could carry sensors, communications nodes, electronic warfare systems, or precision weapons, depending on mission requirements. This modularity allows for real-time adaptation across diverse operational scenarios, from penetrating strikes in contested airspace to wide-area surveillance and defensive counterair missions.

The U.S. Air Force envisions CCA aircraft being developed, produced, and fielded on faster timelines and at lower cost than traditional fighters, using digital engineering, open-systems design, and commercial manufacturing techniques. This approach is also intended to make the fleet more attritable - or expendable when necessary - without sacrificing mission effectiveness. With plans to assign each manned aircraft to control two to five CCA partners, the program aims to dramatically expand the reach, lethality, and survivability of U.S. airpower while offsetting pilot shortages and limiting operational risks.

The CCA program falls under the broader Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) portfolio and is supported by significant investment in autonomy, secure data links, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. It is also aligned with Department of the Air Force efforts to restructure procurement strategies around agility, continuous competition, and rapid fielding. As peer threats continue to evolve, particularly from China’s expanding aerospace capabilities, the CCA program is widely viewed as a critical pillar in preserving U.S. air superiority in future conflicts.

Similar concepts are now being actively pursued by major military powers, as manned-unmanned teaming becomes a central pillar of next-generation airpower worldwide. In Europe, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) - a trilateral effort by France, Germany, and Spain - is developing a “remote carrier” concept that mirrors the CCA approach. These small, modular unmanned aircraft will be designed to accompany the sixth-generation NGF (Next Generation Fighter) and provide electronic warfare, decoy, surveillance, or strike capabilities. FCAS remote carriers are intended to be launched from both manned aircraft and ground platforms, creating a distributed network of airpower assets.

The United Kingdom, under its Team Tempest program, is also pursuing its own unmanned wingman platform, now evolving under the name “Loyal Wingman” or “Mosquito” before the latter was recently canceled in favor of a broader approach to uncrewed collaborative systems. BAE Systems and MBDA continue work on advanced swarming and AI-enabled teaming technologies under the wider Tempest ecosystem, reinforcing the UK’s commitment to manned-unmanned integration.

Türkiye has emerged as a surprising and increasingly influential player in unmanned combat aviation. Building on the success of its TB2 and Akıncı UAVs, Turkish defense firm Baykar is developing the Bayraktar Kızılelma, an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) specifically designed for carrier operations and manned-unmanned teaming. The Kızılelma is expected to feature stealth shaping, internal weapon bays, supersonic speed, and AI-based autonomy, making it one of the most ambitious UCAVs currently under development outside of NATO's core Western industrial base. Ankara aims to integrate Kızılelma with both conventional fighter wings and its upcoming TCG Anadolu amphibious assault ship, enabling hybrid naval air operations and expanding Türkiye’s strategic reach.

Russia, too, is advancing its own version of the CCA concept with the Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B, a heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) designed to operate in tandem with the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter. The Okhotnik-B features a stealthy flying wing design and has already conducted flight tests with weapons separation and limited autonomous functions. Russia envisions the UCAV operating as a loyal wingman, providing strike and reconnaissance capabilities in high-threat airspace.

China’s People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is rapidly developing a parallel capability through several classified programs, including the GJ-11 Sharp Sword stealth UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) and other systems under its “manned-unmanned teaming” doctrine. Chinese industry has displayed multiple UAV concepts at air shows that resemble collaborative wingmen, and satellite imagery suggests accelerated testing of AI-driven unmanned systems at remote air bases. Given China's focus on contested air dominance in the Indo-Pacific, these platforms are likely intended to support J-20 stealth fighters and upcoming sixth-generation designs.

Across the globe, the race to field unmanned collaborative combat aircraft reflects a growing consensus: future air superiority will depend not just on a few advanced manned platforms, but on an integrated constellation of crewed and uncrewed systems, operating in coordination, sharing data in real time, and capable of overwhelming sophisticated air defenses.

The U.S. Air Force's evolution toward unmanned teaming marks a historic transformation in airpower doctrine. No longer is air dominance solely the domain of manned fighters engaging in close-range dogfights or deep-strike missions. Instead, tomorrow's air battles will be fought by distributed networks of autonomous systems that enhance the capabilities of manned pilots, saturate the battlespace with sensors and firepower, and adapt in real time to emerging threats. By integrating platforms like the YFQ-48A into a broader tactical ecosystem, the Air Force can project power more quickly, with greater resilience and precision.

This shift also addresses key challenges facing the U.S. military: operational costs, limitations in force structure, pilot availability, and survivability in highly contested environments. Unmanned aircraft can take on missions deemed too dangerous for human pilots, operate for extended durations without fatigue, and be deployed at a scale that would be unsustainable with manned-only fleets. Their presence changes the enemy’s decision-making calculus, complicates targeting, and opens new dimensions for strategic deterrence and battlefield dominance.

As adversaries build anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems and deploy their own unmanned swarms, the U.S. Air Force’s embrace of manned-unmanned teaming is not just an innovation - it is a strategic imperative. The YFQ-48A signals that this future is no longer theoretical. It is being built, tested, and readied for the fight ahead.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.