- US Air Force drone fires real missile during historic autonomous aircraft test
- Human pilots remain in control despite drones’ increasing autonomy
- YFQ-44A advances US plans for future robotic fighter operations
The US Air Force has successfully tested a collaborative fighter aircraft that fires a real AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, marking an important step for autonomous combat systems.
The YFQ-44A drone, developed by Anduril Industries, launched the weapon against a digital target over the Mojave Desert during the historic test.
The event brings the Air Force closer to deploying unmanned aircraft designed to support human pilots during future air operations.
AI Wingman drone goes from carrying weapons to firing them
The missile launch followed earlier test phases in which engineers confirmed that the aircraft could safely carry the weapon and maintain stable flight.
The drone first carried an inert version of the AMRAAM before validating the necessary communication links between the aircraft, weapons systems and human operators.
Air Force officials said the test involved more than simply launching a missile because the weapon successfully tracked the simulated target during the engagement.
Gen. Ken Wilsbach described the event as an important step toward delivering collaborative fighter aircraft capabilities to military operators.
“It wasn’t just an AMRAAM that came out, but it was tracking the target,” Wilsbach said while discussing the test.
The Air Force has emphasized that autonomous systems will not independently decide when to fire weapons, as human authorization is still required before any engagement.
The YFQ-44A, also known internally as Fury, is part of CCA’s first phase of development alongside General Atomics’ YFQ-42A Dark Merlin.
These aircraft are designed to operate with manned fighters such as the F-35 and F-22 by providing additional sensors, weapons and operational support during missions.
The Air Force expects CCA platforms to play multiple roles beyond missile transportation, including electronic warfare, reconnaissance and other battlefield tasks.
Officials believe these aircraft could increase combat effectiveness by allowing pilots to manage multiple unmanned systems during complex operations.
The Air Force expands its autonomous aircraft program
The successful missile test comes after the Air Force approved both CCA designs to move into production in June 2026.
Anduril, Shield AI and Collins Aerospace are competing to provide autonomous software for the aircraft, as the service continues to develop future versions through multiple program increments.
Air Force officials have not disclosed total program costs or production figures for the first phase of manufacturing.
However, budget documents show the service requested about $1.4 billion for CCA development and nearly $1 billion for acquisitions during fiscal 2027.
The Air Force estimates that the drones have reached a cost target of about one-third that of an F-35A fighter, which has an average cost of about $83 million in its current production batch.
Future CCA designs may require greater range, speed, and electrical power, especially for potential operations in regions where long-range weapons threaten U.S. bases.
However, U.S. lawmakers have argued that future systems will need the ability to deploy from the continental United States and reach distant combat areas.
Via Defense Blog | Breaking the defense
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