U.S. Air Force names FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury, confirms 500 semi-autonomous combat aircraft by 2032 in planned 1,000-aircraft fleet

By Hannah Miller (Defence Industry Europe)

Unmanned systems | September 14, 2026

U.S. Air Force names FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury, confirms 500 semi-autonomous combat aircraft by 2032 in planned 1,000-aircraft fleet

Image: U.S. Air Force.

The U.S. Air Force has named its two newest Collaborative Combat Aircraft the FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury. The service plans to have 500 CCA aircraft by 2032 as part of a wider requirement for about 1,000 systems.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced the official names on Sept. 14 during his keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference. He also confirmed the 2032 fleet objective.

The Air Force describes the planned aircraft as combat-ready and semi-autonomous. They are intended to extend the reach, situational awareness and survivability of U.S. airpower in contested environments.

The planned purchase of about 1,000 aircraft would introduce the capability across the combat fleet at scale. The source did not specify how the planned total would be divided between the FQ-42 and FQ-44.

Assigning official names to Vengeance and Fury marks the latest step in the CCA program and the Air Force’s broader aerial combat modernization. The service is positioning semi-autonomous aircraft as part of its future force structure alongside existing combat aviation.

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U.S. Air Force names FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury, confirms 500 semi-autonomous combat aircraft by 2032 in planned 1,000-aircraft fleet

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