Spirit Defense to Support GA-ASI FQ-42 Vengeance Production

GA-ASI entered an agreement with Spirit Defense to support production of its FQ-42 Vengeance, according to a report published October 23, 2026. Spirit Defense will serve as a fuselage design-build partner, with work spanning engineering and manufacturing from design through production.

Key details

• The report dates the agreement announcement to October 23, 2026.
• It describes Spirit Defense as a Boeing subsidiary based in Wichita, Kansas, following Boeing’s acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems on December 8, 2025.
• The report says GA-ASI received an FQ-42A production contract on June 17, 2026, alongside a production selection for Anduril’s FQ-44.
• It attributes to the US Air Force a first production increment of 150 aircraft across two types, a goal of 500 combat-ready collaborative combat aircraft by 2032, and a longer-term fleet target of about 1,000.

GA-ASI said in September 2026 that it could produce six FQ-42 aircraft per month.

Why it matters

Spirit Defense’s role connects fuselage engineering and manufacturing with GA-ASI’s FQ-42 production effort. GA-ASI said in September 2026 that it could produce six FQ-42 aircraft per month and had additional manufacturing space, giving a measure of the company’s stated production capacity.

What happens next

The agreement adds a fuselage design-build partner as GA-ASI works toward FQ-42 production. How will Spirit Defense’s role shape the aircraft’s manufacturing effort?