Anduril’s YFQ-44A Takes First Flight

Prototype Anduril combat drone maiden flight in California advances Air Force autonomy testing and production plans.

Matt Ryan

Friday, October 31, 2025 at 04:41 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Matt Ryan

[Credit: Anduril]

Key Takeaways:

Anduril's YFQ-44A "Fury" prototype successfully completed its first flight, joining General Atomics’ YFQ-42A as another design flying for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Increment 1 program.
Central to the YFQ-44A's design is advanced autonomy, allowing it to execute mission plans, manage flight control, and land independently, minimizing human interaction during operation.
Anduril plans to scale production of these autonomous aircraft using a common software backbone called ArsenalOS and a "hyperscale" factory.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Anduril’s YFQ-44A prototype made its first flight Friday at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, Calif., joining General Atomics’ YFQ-42A as one of two designs now airborne in the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA, Increment 1 effort. Photos from the flight showed the YFQ-44A alongside two L-29 Delfin chase planes.

Anduril and the service have said autonomy, not remote piloting, is central to the program. Jason Levin, Anduril’s senior vice president for engineering for air dominance and strike, wrote in a company release that the aircraft should operate independently from human interaction.

Anduril's YFQ-44A "Fury" prototype spotted today flight testing in Victorville, CA. pic.twitter.com/1Q21foREo6
— chris (@cwamidon) October 31, 2025

“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 wrote.

Anduril outlined plans to scale production using a common software backbone called ArsenalOS and a “hyperscale” factory, Arsenal-1, in Columbus, Ohio, with more CCA prototype production expected in the first half of 2026. The Air Force said developmental flight activities will continue at vendor and government test sites, including Edwards and Nellis air bases, as it evaluates how CCAs will complement crewed fifth- and sixth-generation platforms.

0 replies