General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has enlisted Boeing subsidiary Spirit Defense to help manufacture the FQ-42 Vengeance, the uncrewed combat aircraft it is producing for the US Air Force.
Under the partnership, announced on October 23, 2026, Spirit Defense will serve as a fuselage design-build partner, contributing engineering and manufacturing capabilities from design through production. Neither company disclosed the value of the agreement, the number of fuselages involved, or when deliveries will begin.
The arrangement marks a departure from GA-ASI’s longstanding practice of manufacturing its aircraft in-house, including the MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-9B SkyGuardian. By bringing in an outside supplier, the company aims to expand production capacity and reduce its dependence on a single manufacturing operation as the US Air Force scales up its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
GA-ASI President David R. Alexander described the additional capacity as “exactly the kind of production resilience” the Air Force is seeking. Spirit Defense President and CEO Keith Schrader said the company was ready to support the program.
FQ-42 Vengeance production already underway
GA-ASI received its initial FQ-42A production contract on June 17, 2026, alongside rival manufacturer Anduril, whose FQ-44 Fury was also selected for production. Contract values and the allocation of aircraft between the two manufacturers have not been disclosed.
The US Air Force confirmed in September 2026 that the first production increment covers 150 aircraft across both types. The service plans to field 500 combat-ready CCAs by 2032, with an eventual fleet of approximately 1,000 uncrewed combat aircraft.
In September 2026, GA-ASI said it was positioned to deliver six FQ-42s per month, with additional manufacturing space available to accommodate larger orders. The company also confirmed that production was proceeding on its own investment while government funding plans continued to develop. It is unclear whether Spirit Defense’s involvement would increase that production rate.
Spirit Defense was established following Boeing’s acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems on December 8, 2025. Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, the company operates as a non-integrated subsidiary of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, retaining independent governance and operations while supplying the wider defense industry.
Boeing was among five companies initially selected to develop CCA concepts. However, in April 2024, the US Air Force chose GA-ASI and Anduril to proceed with production-representative test aircraft, leaving Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman outside that phase of the competition.