US-based defense technology company Anduril has begun flight testing its YFQ-44A aircraft, a semi-autonomous fighter designed to operate alongside crewed aircraft in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
The YFQ-44A made its first flight on October 31. The semi-autonomous aircraft conducted taxi and flight tests using autonomous systems rather than remote piloting.
YFQ-44A is being developed with the US Air Force under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The company and the US Air Force completed the development from clean-sheet design to first flight in 18 months.
The CCA program aims to enhance survivability, lethality and mission effectiveness through teaming with crewed fighter aircraft or independent operations. Flight testing will develop collaborative, manned-unmanned teaming concepts and tactics for autonomous aircraft integration.
YFQ-44A’s flight testing program will evaluate speed, maneuverability, autonomy, stealth, range and weapons systems integration capabilities. The fully integrated weapon system processes data at combat speeds, identifies targets and commands effects to enhance combined team performance.
The aircraft executes mission plans independently, manages flight control and throttle adjustment without human command, and returns to land at the push of a button. An operator remains “on the loop” but does not directly control the aircraft during flight operations.
According to Anduril, the YFQ-44A’s software backbone tracks and manages maintenance, vehicle health and sustainment operations on the ground to ensure aircraft readiness. The company said the integration of autonomy from the earliest ground and flight tests will accelerate the pace of learning and iteration for autonomous systems.
Jason Levin, senior vice president of engineering at Anduril said in a statement posted on the company’s website: “By integrating autonomy into the earliest ground and flight tests for YFQ-44A, we’re tackling the hardest challenge that this technology presents first. As a result, we are accelerating the pace of learning and iteration so that we can ultimately deliver this decisive capability to warfighters faster.”
YFQ-44A manufacturing
The aircraft will be produced at Arsenal-1, a 5,000,000 sq ft production facility under construction in Columbus, Ohio. The YFQ-44A will be the first program to move into the facility when operations begin, with prototype CCA production planned to start in the first half of 2026.
The production system uses ArsenalOS, a common software backbone that supports design-for-manufacturing decisions made during YFQ-44A development. The manufacturing approach focuses on simple, mature and low-risk production technologies using a broad labor pool, commoditized supply chain and industry-standard manufacturing processes.
Anduril said it has doubled its manufacturing speed for the YFQ-44A by optimizing processes and workflows and by making design modifications to enhance producibility. The company said these improvements will continue as production transitions to Arsenal-1 next year.
