General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has partnered with Spirit Defense, a Boeing Company, to support airframe production for the U.S. Air Force’s new FQ-42 Vengeance Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
Under the agreement, Spirit Defense will serve as a fuselage design-build partner, providing engineering and advanced manufacturing capabilities across the program’s lifecycle from initial design through full-rate production. The collaboration follows GA-ASI securing a prime contract from the U.S. Air Force in June to produce the FQ-42 aircraft.
The partnership marks a significant operational shift for GA-ASI, which has served as the sole manufacturer of its uncrewed aircraft fleet—including the MQ-9A Reaper®, MQ-1C Gray Eagle®, MQ-20 Avenger®, and MQ-9B SkyGuardian® and SeaGuardian variants—since the company was founded in 1992. By integrating Spirit Defense, GA-ASI aims to expand manufacturing capacity and industrial depth, accelerating delivery timelines while mitigating single-point-of-failure risks across the defense supply chain.
David R. Alexander, GA-ASI President, commented, “We’re excited to be working with Spirit Defense. We’ve established our proven design, development, and manufacturing capability for the FQ-42. With Spirit Defense we add capacity, which is exactly the kind of production resilience our U.S. Air Force customer is looking for with its CCA ramp-up. This kind of partnership represents the scalable industrial base the Air Force and the U.S. Department of War are looking for from industry.”
Keith Schrader, President and CEO of Spirit Defense, added, “We’re proud to bring deep manufacturing expertise and proven capabilities to this important program. Our team understands the responsibility that comes with supporting critical national defense programs, and we’re ready to deliver for our customer and the warfighter.”
FQ-42 is a purpose-built, uncrewed fighter, developed with USAF as part of ongoing investment in next-generation semi-autonomous combat aircraft. The jet’s modular design enables rapid integration of mission systems and mission autonomy software. GA-ASI’s software architecture, demonstrated through live flight tests on multiple airframes, provides the foundation for human-machine teaming in complex combat scenarios.
Beyond domestic production, GA-ASI is in ongoing discussions with several foreign defense forces evaluating its Gambit Series of modular aircraft. Derived from design work on the FQ-42, the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station, and the MQ-20 Avenger, the family of jets is configured for electronic warfare, suppression and destruction of enemy air defenses (SEAD/DEAD), and stand-off precision strike.
Nations interested in procuring aircraft from the Gambit Series also have an opportunity to insert indigenous manufacturing into those programs, as well as integration of their own sensors, weapons and other combat technologies.
