Anduril has started flight testing the autonomous YFQ-44A jet within the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The company moved the design from drawing board to first flight in 556 days. Early taxi and flight events are being conducted in a semi-autonomous mode, with an operator supervising on the loop rather than directing inputs in real time.
“YFQ-44A is designed to gain and maintain air superiority in highly contested environments through a focus on autonomy and affordable mass, a paradigm shift in how the United States will employ and project combat airpower this decade and beyond,” wrote Jason Levin, SVP of Engineering at Anduril.
The CCA program aims to add affordable mass and new tactics to the battlefield by pairing uncrewed aircraft with crewed fighters or by deploying them independently. The YFQ-44A offers mission-level autonomy at a lower cost and improved safety due to the plane’s extensive feature set and the absence of a human pilot.
The aircraft is not yet operational, but the company is testing it under real conditions. According to Anduril, YFQ-44A executes preplanned missions, manages flight controls and throttle, and performs return-to-land sequences under supervisory oversight. The company describes the autonomy stack as a fully integrated weapon system in flight that can process data to identify targets and command effects. On the ground, the same software backbone tracks maintenance and vehicle health to support faster turnaround.
“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. They are real, and they are taking to the skies today. The flight testing process is where we prove that our aircraft meets the mark in terms of speed, maneuverability, autonomy, stealth, range, weapons systems integration, and more,” said Levin.
The firm is building the YFQ-44A on a common software backbone, ArsenalOS. Anduril is also constructing a five-million-square-foot facility in Columbus, Ohio, called Arsenal-1, and plans to begin prototype CCA production there in the first half of 2026. In the interim, the company reports it has more than doubled manufacturing speed for YFQ-44A through process optimization and design adjustments, with additional gains expected before production moves to Arsenal-1.
Autonomous combat aircraft are likely to become a central element of modern airpower. Programs like YFQ-44A indicate a shift away from exclusive reliance on crewed platforms, and toward the growing prevalence of drone warfare.
