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American defence innovator Anduril has announced the successful start of flight testing for its YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
The company boasted of a “clean sheet to first semi-autonomous flight within 556 days” development cycle for the YFQ-44A aircraft.
Anduril described the achievement as a “milestone step change” similar to other technological transformations such as moving from piston-driven aircraft to jet-powered aircraft or stealth technology.
The program is designed to enable a team of robotic autonomous aircraft to collaborate to accomplish mission objectives by teaming with crewed fighter aircraft or operating independently.
“We recently began flight testing for Anduril’s YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). 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,” said Anduril’s Jason Levin, senior vice president of engineering, air dominance and strike.
“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’re 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, manoeuvrability, autonomy, stealth, range, weapons systems integration and more. As YFQ-44A climbs higher, we’re proving that it doesn’t merely look like a fighter but that it performs like one.
“There is no chapter in aviation textbooks about how to develop and test semi-autonomous fighter aircraft. Anduril and the US Air Force, together, are writing it. We’ve been able to move at unprecedented speed thanks to an unwavering collaboration with our Air Force teammates, a relentless commitment to simplicity in design and ease of manufacture, and a devotion to doing the hard things first.”
Autonomous flight is considered to be fundamental for development of the CCA program rather than semi-autonomous flight.
Anduril has also announced the testing of a new type of production system for YFQ-44A and employment of a common software backbone called Arsenal OS.
The aircraft is being developed at the 5 million square foot Arsenal-1 production facility in Columbus, Ohio. YFQ-44A will be the first program to move into the factory when its doors open and Anduril is on track to begin production of prototype CCA at Arsenal-1 in the first half of 2026.
International development of unmanned aircraft is also being championed by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. Which has teased, introduced and flown next-generation aircraft at least two high end crewed aircraft and multiple uncrewed platforms within the last year.
