The United States is testing a new generation of combat drones. Two suppliers have been selected to develop a prototype, and the YFQ-42A, developed by General Atomics, is one of them. Where traditional drones are mainly used for reconnaissance or precision bombing, the YFQ-42A is designed as a digital wingman — an unmanned combat partner operating alongside manned fighter jets. For countries taking part in the US Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme, including the Netherlands, this is a technology that goes far beyond an evolutionary step. It could completely change the way air forces operate. And that will certainly happen in the future.
A digital wingman that takes over dangerous tasks
The YFQ-42A is to fulfil a role that until now could only be filled by human pilots. Instead of a second aircraft with a pilot alongside, an F-35 will in future get an unmanned partner that can be sent ahead into enemy territory. The drone can provoke radars, reconnoitre air defence systems, mark targets, intercept enemy aircraft and even carry extra missiles when a manned aircraft has no more room. The idea is that the YFQ-42A takes the risks, while the pilot in the F-35 stays at a relatively safe distance and keeps the overview. It is a concept that offers enormous advantages, especially in complex conflicts — where air defences and enemy aircraft pose a great threat.
For a country like the Netherlands, which pursues a compact but technologically advanced air force, this is particularly attractive. The Royal Netherlands Air Force has long been investigating unmanned “force multipliers” that can increase the effectiveness of the F-35. By taking part in the CCA programme, the Netherlands can help shape requirements, follow the development process and possibly eventually gain access to the drone itself. This gives the air force a serious chance to increase its striking power without the costs and risks of extra manned aircraft.
Source General Atomics Aeronautical Systems: the YFQ-42A drone being tested.
What General Atomics and the US Air Force say
General Atomics calls the YFQ-42A a technological milestone. The manufacturer stresses above all how fast the project is developing: in just over a year the aircraft went from the drawing board to an airworthy prototype — an unprecedented pace in the defence industry. According to the company, that fast development process is no coincidence, but part of the new design thinking. The future must be about drones that are quick to produce, remain relatively affordable and can easily be deployed in large numbers. General Atomics therefore sees the YFQ-42A mainly as the start of a whole family of unmanned combat aircraft that will follow in the coming years, each with different capabilities or stealth features.
The US Air Force endorses the importance of this new class of drones. According to the Pentagon, it is simply inevitable that future air operations will revolve around a combination of human and machine. The threat of modern air defence systems and the rise of advanced fighter jets make it too risky to operate with manned aircraft alone. Unmanned wingmen make it possible to go deep into enemy territory without endangering a pilot. Moreover, a single F-35 can be reinforced by several drones providing extra sensors, weapons and information. The air force therefore speaks of a “new standard” in air combat.
Image: General Atomics
What this could concretely mean for the Netherlands
For the Netherlands the possibilities are enormous. Participation in the CCA programme means not only that the Royal Netherlands Air Force gains knowledge of this new technology, but also that the country has a say in the tactical and technical requirements from day one. That gives the Netherlands a unique position in Europe, where most countries will join later or become dependent on export models.
If the YFQ-42A eventually becomes available to international partners, the Netherlands is well positioned to be one of the first to gain access. That would drastically change the air force’s capability. A small fleet of F-35s would then be able to operate with several unmanned aircraft at once, so that a patrol of four aircraft can be expanded to ten or more platforms that jointly gather information, detect targets and even carry out attacks. Without training extra pilots, without new training infrastructure and without huge investments in manned aircraft.
The biggest gain may well lie in risk management. In high-threat scenarios — think of missions over enemy territory with modern air defences — Dutch pilots no longer have to fly in front. The drone takes over the dangers, while the human keeps control of the decisions. It means an air force that becomes stronger, more flexible and safer at the same time.
Conclusion: the Netherlands is on the eve of a new generation of air power
The YFQ-42A shows how quickly the air force of the future is taking shape. It is an aircraft that not only introduces technology, but above all a completely new way of thinking. Human and machine become partners; the machine flies the dangerous missions, the human monitors and directs.
That the Netherlands is already part of this increases the chance that the Royal Netherlands Air Force will be flying unmanned combat aircraft within ten years that dramatically increase the striking power of the F-35. It puts our country at the forefront of a global military revolution — and that is no longer science fiction, but a realistic vision of the future that is already being tested in the United States today.
