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Steve Trimble
June 10, 2026
Two General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. YFQ-42As in El Mirage, California. Credit: GA-ASI
BERLIN — A U.S. Air Force classification change to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program could give a boost to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.’s (GA-ASI’s) marketing campaign in Europe.
The Air Force originally classified all works on CCAs as a special access program, meaning it shared a classification status similar to Boeing’s secretive F-47 fighter. The approach kept a tight lid on details about the CCA program but also made it hard for the two companies chosen to participate Increment 1 to share information with potential foreign buyers.
But GA-ASI now expects the U.S. government to approve an export license for sharing information with certain foreign buyers soon.
“So the doors are going to open now,” GA-ASI President David Alexander told Aviation Week in an interview here.
Germany and the Netherlands are the two countries in Europe at the most advanced stages of the acquisition process for CCAs. Germany plans to introduce the country’s still-unchosen CCA in 2029. The Netherlands has agreed to participate in the Air Force’s test and evaluation program with the Increment 1 operational prototypes, which include the GA-ASI YFQ-42 Dark Merlin and the Anduril Industries YFQ-44.
“We’re glad we have the class guide change, so we can get an export license and share all the information on the platform side,” Alexander said.
