- US Air Force drone fires live missile in historic autonomous aircraft test
- Human pilots remain at the controls despite the growing autonomy capabilities of drones
- YFQ-44A advances U.S. plans for future robotic combat operations
The US Air Force has successfully tested a collaborative fighter jet firing a live AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, marking a major milestone 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 one step closer to deploying unmanned aircraft designed to support human pilots in future flight operations.
AI Wingman drone goes from carrying weapons to shooting
The missile launch follows earlier testing phases in which engineers confirmed the aircraft could safely carry the weapon and maintain stable flight.
The drone first carried an inert version of the AMRAAM before validating the required communications links between the aircraft, weapon systems and human operators.
Air Force officials said the test involved more than just dropping a missile, as the weapon successfully tracked the simulated target during the engagement.
Gen. Ken Wilsbach described the event as an important development toward providing collaborative fighter aircraft capabilities to military operators.
“It wasn’t just an AMRAAM that came loose, it was tracking the target,” Wilsbach said when discussing the test.
The Air Force stressed that autonomous systems will not independently decide when to fire weapons, as human authorization remains required before any engagement.
The YFQ-44A, also known internally as the Fury, is part of CCA’s first phase of development alongside General Atomics’ YFQ-42A Dark Merlin.
These aircraft are designed to work 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 serve multiple roles beyond missile transportation, including electronic warfare, reconnaissance and other battlefield tasks.
Officials say the planes could increase combat effectiveness by allowing pilots to manage multiple unmanned systems during complex operations.
Air Force expands autonomous aircraft program
The successful missile test comes after the Air Force approved both CCA models to go into production in June 2026.
Anduril, Shield AI and Collins Aerospace are competing to provide standalone software for the aircraft, while 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 purchases in fiscal year 2027.
The Air Force estimates the drones have achieved a cost target of about one-third that of an F-35A fighter, which has an average takeoff cost of about $83 million in its current production batch.
Future CCA designs may require greater range, speed, and electrical power, particularly for potential operations in regions where long-range weapons threaten U.S. bases.
However, U.S. lawmakers have argued that future systems will need to be able to be deployed from the continental United States and reach remote combat zones.
Via Defense Blog | Break the defense
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