GA-ASI FQ-42 Vengeance CCA flies in formation with F-35A and F-15E

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has released a photograph of a prototype of its FQ-42 Vengeance Collaborative Combat Aircraft flying in formation with an F-35A Lightning II and an F-15E Strike Eagle. The image accompanied the company's announcement of the delivery of a new FQ-42 to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada on Sept. 18, 2026.

According to General Atomics, the aircraft will continue regular test and evaluation work intended to support experimentation with uncrewed systems and the U.S. Air Force's collaborative combat aircraft development effort.

Both the FQ-42 and the FQ-44 are deployed at Creech, where they are working with the Air Force's Experimental Operations Unit. The company did not disclose when the formation flight took place. Last week, during the Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Anduril released a similar photo of an FQ-44 prototype flying alongside an F-35; Anduril said that flight was part of an exercise held in July.

Flying alongside a crewed fighter is not the same as being controlled or tasked by one. Both aircraft are currently using their own mission autonomy systems while sharing airspace with crewed fighters, other collaborative combat aircraft and other aircraft. Collaborative control flights are expected to follow testing of the hardware and software needed for the uncrewed aircraft to carry out tasks sent by crewed aircraft. Anduril has said the first live-flight demonstrations are expected within the coming weeks.