Anduril’s YFQ-44A begins flight testing after 556 days, advancing U.S. Air Force autonomy efforts - Defence Industry Europe

Anduril Launches Flight Testing of YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft

Anduril has initiated flight testing for its YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), a semi-autonomous platform developed alongside the U.S. Air Force to secure air superiority in contested environments.

Semi-Autonomous Capabilities

The YFQ-44A is engineered to operate with or without crewed aircraft, leveraging autonomy to increase survivability, lethality, and mission efficiency. From its initial flight, it operates semi-autonomously, controlling mission execution, throttle, and flight maneuvers without requiring real-time human control.

“Flight testing is where we prove to ourselves, to the Air Force, to our allies, and to our adversaries that these proclamations about game-changing technology go beyond words,” said Jason Levin, SVP of Engineering, Air Dominance & Strike.

Autonomous Flight and Mission Management

Distinct from remotely piloted drones, the YFQ-44A independently executes its mission plan, adjusts flight controls and throttle, and can return for landing at the push of a button.

“Our aircraft is ushering in this new paradigm with incredible technical precision: it executes a mission plan on its own, manages flight control and throttle adjustment independent of human command, and returns to land at the push of a button,” Levin added.

Integrated Autonomous Software

The aircraft includes a fully autonomous software system capable of real-time combat data processing, target identification, command execution, and management of logistics and sustainment on the ground.

“In short, YFQ-44A’s autonomy is what makes it more than just a flying machine, but one that’s ready to fight,” Levin stated.

Summary: Anduril’s YFQ-44A advances U.S. Air Force autonomy efforts by combining semi-autonomous flight control with advanced mission execution capabilities for contested environment operations.

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Defence Industry Europe Defence Industry Europe — 2025-11-04

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