| XQ-67A | |
|---|---|
 XQ-67A first flight | |
| General information | |
| Type | Unmanned combat aerial vehicle,loyal wingman |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | General Atomics Aeronautical Systems |
| Status | Under development |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| History | |
| First flight | 28 February 2024 |
| Developed into | General Atomics YFQ-42 |
TheGeneral Atomics XQ-67A is a developmentalunmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) built byGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for theUnited States Air Force Off-Board Sensing Station program and as a prototype for thecollaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program.[1][2]
In February 2023 theAir Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced that GA-ASI had been selected to build and test a UAV for the Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) program, intended to fly ahead of and pass data back to manned aircraft. The prototype was publicly unveiled by GA-ASI on 8 February 2024. It is unclear whether or not the XQ-67A is capable of carrying weapons.[3]
The XQ-67A had its first flight on 28 February 2024 from GA-ASI'sGrey Butte Flight Operations Facility nearPalmdale, California. The AFRL stated that "the XQ-67A is the first of a second generation of autonomous collaborative platforms. Following the success of theXQ-58A Valkyrie, the first low-cost uncrewed air vehicle intended to provide the warfighter with credible and affordable mass, the XQ-67A proves the common chassis, or "genus", approach to aircraft design, build and test. This approach paves the way for other aircraft "species" to be rapidly replicated on a standard genus chassis. The genus can be built upon for other aircraft — similar to that of a vehicle frame — with the possibility of adding different aircraft kits to the frame, such as an Off-Board Sensing Station or Off-Board Weapon Station."[4]
On 24 April 2024, upon being awarded for thecollaborative combat aircraft (CCA) Increment I, GA-ASI announced that the XQ-67A was a prototype for the CCA program and that the official entry for the CCA, later designated theYFQ-42, would be based on the XQ-67A and feature a common core system. It is speculated that the XQ-67A is representative of "Gambit 1", the first iteration of the previously revealed General Atomics Gambit family. However, GA-ASI has made no specific connection between the XQ-67A, the CCA program, and Gambit.[2][1]
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
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