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The First Combat Collaborative Aircrafts Out of the Lab | AFRL Discovery to Delivery

Air Force Research Laboratory

Jan. 16, 2026 | 2:03

The first two collaborative combat aircraft ordered by the Air Force came directly out of Air Force Research Laboratory programs, and they represent only the start of what will undoubtedly be exponential growth and variation in this revolutionary capability in the future.

Specifically, the first two aircraft chosen by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft acquisition program were vehicles born out of AFRL.
One vehicle was the XQ-67A, which resulted from AFRL’s Low-Cost Autonomous Aircraft Platform Sharing program, or LCAAPS.

The idea behind LCAAPS is the same kind of thinking that automobile manufacturers use, where they may have a common chassis, engine, and drivetrain, which are then used to build pickup trucks, sedans, and SUVs, all from the same basic platform. The XQ-67A was designed and built with the same type of philosophy, and it first flew in February of 2024. AFLCMC, as part of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft acquisition program, has now designated the XQ-67A as the YFQ-42A.

AFRL's Bandit program, led by AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate and AFWERX, bore the second design, called the Fury. The Bandit program aimed to create a cost-effective, uncrewed adversary air vehicle to help train fighter pilots. The Fury became the other design selected for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft acquisition program, and is now designated the YFQ-44A.

Air Force Historian, Jeff Duford, joins the AFRL “Discovery to Delivery” video series to uncover the historic scope and role of AFRL’s critical research, which delivers today’s warfighting capabilities.