General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has officially named its entry for the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program the YFQ-42A Dark Merlin. The designation follows Air Force nomenclature, with “Y” indicating a pre-production prototype, “F” for fighter, and “Q” for uncrewed aircraft.
The name draws inspiration from two distinct sources. The dark merlin is a subspecies of falcon native to the Pacific Northwest, known by ornithologists as a fierce predator that hunts collaboratively. This avian imagery aligns with the aircraft’s intended role as a team player in contested airspace. Simultaneously, the name evokes the wizard Merlin of Arthurian legend, nodding to science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke’s adage that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”—a fitting description for the aircraft’s semi-autonomous capabilities.
According to GA-ASI President David R. Alexander, the name was chosen to reflect the platform’s predatory nature. “Dark merlins are hunting machines, built for speed and aerodynamics,” Alexander said. “They harass other falcons for fun, and they eat what they kill. The name sums up our new uncrewed fighter perfectly.”
The YFQ-42A has achieved significant milestones since GA-ASI was selected for the CCA program in April 2024. In August 2025, the aircraft completed the Air Force’s first successful CCA flight. Just months later, it achieved another first by executing a mission using onboard autonomy software. Between these events, GA-ASI has built and flown multiple test articles, demonstrating push-button autonomous takeoffs and landings.
The Dark Merlin is a purpose-built platform featuring a modular design for rapid mission system integration. It builds on nearly two decades of GA-ASI experience with uncrewed jets, including the MQ-20 Avenger and the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station, which served as a flying prototype for the new CCA. Upon entering full production, the aircraft is expected to drop the “Y” prefix and enter service as the FQ-42A Dark Merlin.
