General Atomics Names YFQ-42A The ‘Dark Merlin’
February 23, 2026
Source: Aviation Week Network
AURORA, Colo.—General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) announced Feb. 23 that its collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) has a name: the Dark Merlin.
The GA-ASI YFQ-42A is one of two CCAs being developed for the U.S. Air Force’s first increment of its program, along with the Anduril YFA-44A. After first flights in 2025, both of the prototypes now await a potential production award in 2026.
GA-ASI in a statement says it expects the YFQ-42A to lose the “Y” and become a production aircraft. According to U.S. Air Force policy, the Y means prototype, while F means fighter and Q means uncrewed. The General Dynamics F-16, for example, began its life as the YF-16.
The company says it selected “Dark Merlin” based on a name for a subspecies of falcon, known for devouring other falcons as prey while also collaborating in groups.
“Dark merlins are hunting machines, built for speed and aerodynamics,” GA-ASI President David Alexander says in an announcement. “They harass other falcons for fun, and they eat what they kill. The name sums up our new uncrewed fighter perfectly.”