Anduril’s YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft Completes First Flight
On 31 October 2025, Anduril announced that its YFQ-44A collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) successfully completed its first flight, marking the start of the flight-testing phase.
Development Timeline and Design
Jason Levin, senior vice-president of engineering for Air Dominance & Strike at Anduril, stated that this milestone was achieved 556 days after the beginning of development. The rapid progress was driven by a strong focus on the project schedule, close cooperation with the customer—including sharing access to Anduril’s computer-aided design (CAD) materials—and a straightforward vehicle design.
Flight Details
The initial flight was semi-autonomous. According to an Anduril spokesperson, this means the aircraft was not controlled by a human operator using traditional controls during the flight. The operator simply launched the flight with the press of a button and supervised it.
“The aircraft executed the flightpath and landed on its own.”
Levin clarified that the YFQ-44A is not intended to be remotely piloted. Instead, all taxi and flight tests so far have been, and will remain, semi-autonomous.
Key Points:
- First flight occurred in late October 2025.
- Development took 556 days.
- Flight control was semi-autonomous without direct pilot input.
- The aircraft autonomously executed the flightpath and landing.
- Design and testing emphasize simplicity and collaboration with the customer.
Summary: Anduril’s YFQ-44A achieved its first semi-autonomous flight after rapid development, highlighting its focus on autonomy and close partnership with the customer.