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

Anduril’s YFQ-44A Begins Flight Testing

Anduril has started flight tests of its YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), a semi-autonomous air platform developed with the US Air Force to secure air superiority in contested zones. The YFQ-44A is crafted to operate both alongside crewed planes and independently, leveraging autonomy to boost survivability, lethality, and mission success.

Advanced Semi-Autonomous Capabilities

Unlike remotely piloted vehicles, the YFQ-44A functions semi-autonomously from its initial flight, controlling mission execution, throttle, and flight navigation without real-time human intervention.

“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.

Autonomy and Technical Precision

The aircraft introduces a new operational paradigm with impressive technical precision, capable of following a mission plan independently, adjusting flight controls and throttle without human commands, and returning to base with a single button press.

“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 explained.

Integrated Autonomous Software System

The YFQ-44A features a fully autonomous software suite that processes combat data, identifies targets, executes commands in real time, and oversees ground logistics and sustainment.

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

Author’s summary: The YFQ-44A is a cutting-edge semi-autonomous combat aircraft that significantly advances US Air Force autonomy by independently executing missions with high precision and real-time decision-making.

Defence Industry Europe — 2025-11-04