F-35s Quarterbacking Drones Seen As Gateway To USMC’s 6th Gen Fighter

Summary

The U.S. Marine Corps is advancing its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, known as MAGTF Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR), with the modified Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie (designated MQ-58) serving as its first operational drone platform, featuring built-in landing gear while retaining rocket-assisted takeoff capability. Marine officials envision F-35 jets serving as "quarterbacks" directing these attritable drones to enhance power projection, sensing, and lethality for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, with this man-unmanned teaming concept explicitly described as a bridge toward a future sixth-generation family of combat systems. The Corps is also utilizing General Atomics' YFQ-42A Dark Merlin as a surrogate platform for testing autonomy technologies under MUX TACAIR, though flight activities have been indefinitely paused following a recent takeoff accident. Marine leadership acknowledges that sixth-generation fighter development remains in early exploratory stages, with the service closely monitoring both the Air Force's F-47 and the Navy's F/A-XX programs before committing to its own path. Senior Marine aviation officials indicate a decision on a potential sixth-generation aircraft is still roughly five to ten years away, with expectations that any Marine variant would more closely resemble the Navy's approach given their shared carrier operations.