The aircraft is part of the Air Force’s “collaborative combat aircraft” program overseen by teams at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and other locations.
“There is no chapter in aviation textbooks about how to develop and test semi-autonomous fighter aircraft,” Jason Levin, Anduril senior vice president of engineering, air dominance and strike, said in an announcement. “Anduril and the U.S. Air Force, together, are writing it.”
Today, the @usairforce made continued progress in our CCA program with the first flight of the YFQ-44A developed by @anduriltech. This milestone shows how competition drives innovation & accelerates delivery. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/MlxyJ85WvF
— Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (@SecAFOfficial) October 31, 2025
The recent flight test “gives us the hard data we need to shape requirements, reduce risk, and ensure the CCA program delivers combat capability on a pace and scale that keeps us ahead of the threat,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in a post on X.
Together with General Atomics’ own version of the aircraft, the Air Force’s goal is to produce modular, affordable uncrewed aircraft designed to fly with crewed fifth and sixth-generation aircraft.
The General Atomics version of the craft flew in a test in August.
“In just over five years, the CCA program has progressed from conceptual development to production and fielding of an operationally relevant capability, while leveraging technologically advanced contributions of an expanding industrial base,” said a legislative amendment introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, this summer.
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