US Air Force tests its 1st loyal wingman combat drone
The US Air Force has begun flight testing of one of its first official autonomous combat drones, the YFQ-42A, as of September 2025.
This kicks off a new era of testing for these unmanned "Loyal Wingman" drones, which are designed to work alongside fighter jets like the F-22 Raptor and use machine learning to boost teamwork between pilots and AI.
YFQ-42A can carry 2 air-to-air missiles
Built by General Atomics using digital engineering, the YFQ-42A features stealthy looks, a low radar profile, and can fly over 700 nautical miles. It is capable of carrying two air-to-air missiles but is still being fine-tuned.
By 2026, the Air Force will pick between this model and Anduril's YFQ-44A for mass production—marking a big shift as these are among the first combat drones officially recognized by any major air force.