FQ-42의 명칭은 벤전스, FQ-44는 퓨리

[위종민]

FQ-42 CCA는 벤전스, FQ-44는 퓨리로 이름지어졌습니다. 퓨리는 FJ-1에서 써먹은 적이 있으니 퓨리II가 돼야 하는 거 아닌가... 

미 공군, CCA를 FQ-42 ‘벤전스’와 FQ-44 ‘퓨리’로 명명

2026년 9월 14일 오후 8시 47분 CEST
스테파노 두르소

협동전투항공기의 통상 명칭을 발표하는 그래픽. 이 항공기들은 이제 각각 FQ-42 ‘벤전스’와 FQ-44 ‘퓨리’로 불리게 된다. 사진: 미 공군

트로이 마인크 미 공군장관은 FQ-42와 FQ-44 협동전투항공기의 통상 명칭을 발표했으며, 이들은 각각 ‘벤전스’와 ‘퓨리’로 불리게 된다.

트로이 마인크 미 공군장관은 2026년 9월 14일 메릴랜드주 내셔널하버에서 열린 공군·우주군협회의 Air, Space & Cyber Conference 기조연설에서 두 협동전투항공기(CCA)의 통상 명칭을 공식 발표했다. FQ-42와 FQ-44는 이제 각각 ‘벤전스’와 ‘퓨리’로 불리게 된다.

FQ-44의 경우 공군은 안두릴이 내부적으로 이미 사용하던 ‘퓨리’라는 명칭을 그대로 채택했지만, FQ-42는 GA-ASI가 선정했던 ‘다크 멀린’이라는 이름을 ‘벤전스’로 변경하기로 결정했다. 공군은 “공군이 국가의 공중전투 전력을 현대화하는 가운데 통상 명칭을 공개하는 것은 CCA 프로그램의 자연스러운 다음 단계였다”고 밝혔다.

마인크는 또한 공군이 2030년대 초까지 계획된 1,000대 가운데 2032년까지 CCA 500대를 보유할 것이라고 확인했다. 공군은 전투준비가 완료된 반자율 체계들이 경쟁적 환경에서 미국 공군력의 작전반경, 상황인식, 생존성을 확대할 것이라고 설명했다.

CCA 인크리먼트 1 프로그램 진전

CCA 인크리먼트 1 프로그램의 일부로 선정된 두 항공기의 통상 명칭 발표는 올여름 앞서 발표된 생산계약에 뒤이은 것이다. 지난 6월 보도했듯이 공군은 FQ-42와 FQ-44의 엔지니어링·제조개발 및 생산계약과 함께 임무 자율성 생산계약도 체결했다.

협동전투항공기 실험운용부대에 배속된 미 공군 YFQ-42A ‘벤전스’가 2026년 7월 22일 네바다주 크리치 공군기지에 착륙하기 전 하강하고 있다. 사진: 미 공군 제이크 제이콥슨 하사

공군은 두 무인 자산이 이미 엄격한 임무 요구조건을 충족했고 본격적인 대량생산 준비가 완료됐기 때문에 계약이 예정보다 수개월 앞당겨 체결됐다고 설명했다. 생산계약 체결에 따른 변화 가운데 하나는 두 설계에서 시제기를 의미하던 ‘Y’ 명칭이 빠진 것이었다.

당시 트로이 마인크 공군장관은 목표가 “2030년대가 시작되기 전까지 전투능력을 갖춘 CCA 150대 이상을 조달하는 것”이라고 밝혔다. 이번 최신 발표로 목표는 이제 2032년까지 500대로 변경됐다.

공군은 여러 인크리먼트를 통해 전투능력을 갖춘 CCA 약 1,000대를 배치할 계획이다. 인크리먼트 1에서 얻은 교훈을 토대로 하는 인크리먼트 2 작업도 이미 진행 중이며, FQ-42와 FQ-44의 생산 역시 이미 시작됐다.

제너럴 아토믹스 에어로노티컬 시스템스(GA-ASI)와 안두릴은 항공기 생산계약을 수주했으며, 신속 소프트웨어 개발계약은 안두릴, 제너럴 아토믹스, 록히드마틴, 노스럽그러먼, RTX 콜린스 에어로스페이스, 실드 AI가 수주했다. 임무 자율성 계약은 안두릴, RTX 콜린스 에어로스페이스, 실드 AI에 돌아갔다. 공군은 2027년 여름까지 CCA 인크리먼트 1의 주 임무 자율성 공급업체를 선정할 예정이다.

YFQ-44A 협동전투항공기가 모하비 사막에서 실사격 시험을 실시한 뒤 모하비 사막 상공을 비행하고 있다. 사진: 미 공군 제니퍼 힐리

공군은 8월 CCA용 휴대형 지상통제소인 휴대형 지휘통제 엔클레이브(Portable Command and Control Enclave, C2E)도 시험했다. 발표문에 따르면 평가에서는 주요 산업체 파트너들이 참여한 지상운용 시연이 진행됐다.

오하이오 주방위공군 제178비행단이 스프링필드 주방위공군기지에서 주관한 이번 시연은 차세대 체계를 시험하기에 이상적인 작전환경을 제공했다. 이 체계는 세계 어느 곳의 열악한 환경에서도 신속전투운용(Agile Combat Employment) 작전을 지원하도록 설계됐다.

Air & Space Forces Magazine은 새로운 클라우드 시험 단계를 거친 뒤 내년 여름까지 계약을 체결할 계획이라고 보도했다. 해당 매체가 인용한 대변인은 “C2E 프로그램은 여러 형태의 구성을 포함하고 있으며, 초여름에 초기 통합 파트너를 선정할 계획”이라고 말했다.

U.S. Air Force Names CCAs as FQ-42 “Vengeance” and FQ-44 “Fury” - The Aviationist

U.S. Air Force Names CCAs as FQ-42 “Vengeance” and FQ-44 “Fury”

U.S. Air Force Names CCAs as FQ-42 “Vengeance” and FQ-44 “Fury”

Published on: September 14, 2026 at 8:47 PM CEST

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Stefano D'Urso

The graphic announcing the popular names for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which will now be known as FQ-42 "Vengeance" and FQ-44 "Fury." (Image credit: U.S. Air Force)

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Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced the popular names for the FQ-42 and FQ-44 Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which will be known as “Vengeance” and “Fury,” respectively.

Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink formally announced the popular names of the two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) during his keynote address at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Sept. 14, 2026. The FQ-42 and FQ-44 will now be known as “Vengeance” and “Fury,” respectively.

While for the FQ-44 the service confirmed the name “Fury” already used internally by Anduril, for the FQ-42 it decided to replace the name “Dark Merlin” chosen by GA-ASI. The service said that “revealing popular names was a natural next step for the CCA program as the Air Force modernizes the nation’s aerial combat fleet.”

Meink additionally confirmed that the service would have 500 CCAs by 2032, out of the 1,000 planned by the end of the decade. The combat-ready, semi-autonomous systems will extend reach, awareness and survivability of American airpower in contested environments, explained the service.

CCA Increment 1 program advances

The announcement of the popular names for the two aircraft selected as part of the CCA Increment 1 program follows the production contracts announced earlier this summer. As we reported in June, the Air Force awarded engineering and manufacturing development and production contracts for the FQ-42 and FQ-44, as well as mission autonomy production contracts.

A U.S. Air Force YFQ-42A “Vengeance” aircraft assigned to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit descends in the air before landing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, July 22, 2026. (Image Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jake Jacobsen)

The service explained that the award arrived months ahead of scheduled because the two uncrewed assets already met rigorous mission requirements and are ready for full-scale manufacturing. One of the changes with the award of the production contracts was the two designs dropping the ‘Y’ designation which indicated prototypes.

On that occasion, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the goal was “to procure over 150 combat capable CCA by the end of the decade.” With the latest announcement, this goal now changed to 500 aircraft by 2032.

The service intends to field approximately 1,000 combat-capable CCA throughout multiple Increments. Work is already ongoing for the Increment 2, which will build on the lessons from Increment 1, while production of the FQ-42 and FQ-44 is already in progress.

While General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Anduril have been awarded contracts for the production of the aircraft, contracts for rapid software development went to Anduril, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX Collins Aerospace and Shield AI, and mission autonomy contracts went to Anduril, RTX Collins Aerospace, and Shield AI. The service will select a primary mission autonomy provider for CCA Increment 1 by summer 2027.

A YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft flies over the Mojave Desert after conducting live-fire testing over the Mojave Desert. (Image Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Jennifer Healy)

In August, the Air Force also tested portable ground control stations for CCAs, called Portable Command and Control Enclave (C2E). The eval‎uations featured ground operations demonstrations from leading industry partners, said a statement.

The demonstration, hosted by the Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing at Springfield Air National Guard Base, provided an ideal operational setting for testing these next-generation systems. The system is meant to support Agile Combat Employment operations in austere environments anywhere in the world.

Air and Space Forces Magazine reports that the plan is to award a contract by the next summer, following a new phase featuring cloud testing. “The C2E program includes multiple form factors, and the plan is to award an initial integration partner in the early summer,” said the spokesperson quoted by the outlet.