General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has passed a major milestone in its 33-year history, surpassing nine million cumulative flight hours across its unmanned aircraft fleet.
The achievement coincides with ongoing flight operations of the company’s newest combat drone, the YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which is being tested for the U.S. Air Force.
GA-ASI has been tracking total flight hours across its family of unmanned aerial systems since the company’s first aircraft took flight in the early 1990s. Its platforms — including the Predator, Reaper, Gray Eagle, Avenger, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian — have become integral to U.S. and allied defense operations around the world.
“What an amazing moment,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “Having spent so much time supporting the U.S. military and its allies around the world with our other aircraft, it seems fitting that flight testing our new unmanned fighter jet for the U.S. Air Force was what helped bring us past this milestone as we look ahead to a program that will change air dominance again.”
The company’s drones are in near-constant operation, with as many as 50 aircraft airborne at any given time supporting global security missions. Since the first flight of the original RQ-1 Predator on July 3, 1994 — later redesignated MQ-1 — GA-ASI has steadily expanded the capabilities of its systems, shaping the evolution of unmanned airpower. Successors like the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, MQ-9A Reaper, and MQ-20 Avenger have advanced mission flexibility, range, and precision, while new platforms are redefining the future of air combat.
The YFQ-42A represents GA-ASI’s latest step in that evolution. Developed as a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), it is designed to work alongside crewed fighter jets, extending their capabilities with autonomous decision-making, rapid production potential, and a lower cost per unit. Its flight tests reflect the Air Force’s growing emphasis on manned–unmanned teaming and distributed airpower concepts.
Beyond the YFQ-42A, GA-ASI is also building the XQ-67A Off Board Sensing Station — its second uncrewed combat jet — for the U.S. Air Force Research Lab. These programs are part of a broader initiative to field a new generation of autonomous platforms that can operate independently, act as force multipliers, and support high-risk missions without putting pilots at risk.
The company’s operational reach continues to grow with the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian, described by GA-ASI as the world’s most advanced Remotely Piloted Aircraft System. The MQ-9B offers extended range and endurance, satellite-only control from pole to pole, automatic takeoff and landing, and the ability to operate in unsegregated airspace thanks to its Detect and Avoid system.
Deliveries of MQ-9B are already underway to several U.S. allies and partners, including the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (Protector program) and the Belgian Air Force. Orders are also being fulfilled for Canada, Denmark, Poland, Japan, Taiwan, India, and U.S. Special Operations Command. The aircraft has participated in multiple U.S. Navy exercises — including Northern Edge, Integrated Battle Problem, and Group Sail — demonstrating its adaptability across joint operations.
With its latest milestone, GA-ASI underscores the expanding role of uncrewed systems in global defense strategy. The company’s platforms are now central to missions ranging from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to strike, electronic warfare, and maritime patrol. As adversaries field more advanced air defense and counter-drone technologies, the push for autonomous, survivable, and networked aircraft is shaping the future of air combat.