The General Atomics FQ-42 “Vengeance” fighter drone takes off at an unnamed California test location (U.S. Air Force)
The two new uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft the Air Force hopes to fly operationally by the end of the decade were given official names Monday by Air Force Secretary Troy Meink.
The General Atomics FQ-42 will be called “Vengeance,” while the Anduril Industries FQ-44 will be called “Fury,” Meink said. He announced the names during his keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md.
The Air Force plans to order 1,000 of the uncrewed aircraft, with 150 flying by the end of the decade and 500 by 2032.
In Air Force naming conventions, F stands for “fighter” and Q for “unmanned” or drone. FQ aircraft are often called “fighter drones” and their role accompanying crewed aircraft is dubbed “loyal wingman.”
Anduril Industries FQ-44 “Fury” fighter drone in test flight. (U.S. Air Force)
The aircraft will fly alongside and support crewed aircraft such as the F-35A Lightning II and the future F-47 sixth-generation fighter, offering additional surveillance and defense to air crews in combat. The fighter drones are designed to carry air-to-air missiles to give crewed aircraft additional firepower in air combat.
Meink praised the project for achieving its first flight 18 months after the contracts were announced. The FQ-42 Vengeance first flew in August 2025, while the FQ-44 Fury flew two months later.
Anduril posted video on X in July showing the FQ-44 Fury firing an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) during flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The AMRAAM is U.S. military’s main beyond-visible-range air-to-air missile.
“We’re one step closer to getting CCA to the warfighter with this live fire test!” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach posted on X at the time.
“The CCA program is a critical part of a larger, integrated system-of-systems designed to extend the reach and effectiveness of crewed aircraft, giving U.S. warfighters an overwhelming advantage in future conflicts,” the Air Force said in a statement.
