DefenseAnduril YFQ-44A Combat Drone Prototype Completes First Flight in California
Anduril’s YFQ-44A combat drone prototype completed its maiden flight on October 31, at Victorville, California. The event marks the second first flight in the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program phase one competition.
The YFQ-44A flight follows the initial flight of the competing General Atomics YFQ-42A, which took place in August 2025. Both prototypes aim to inform requirements and risk reduction as the Air Force advances its CCA acquisition strategy.
Images of the Collaborative Combat aircraft, which displays a US flag on the fuselage and the acronym ‘AI’ on the tail, were taken by a reader of The War Zone.
During the test, the YFQ-44A was accompanied by two L-29 Delfin trainer jets. The company describes the aircraft as a representative production test vehicle, with only minor modifications such as instrumentation for data collection.
The YFQ-44 was first unveiled in May 2025, coinciding with the start of ground testing. The CCA initiative is central to the Air Force’s efforts to integrate collaborative unmanned platforms alongside crewed assets in future operations.
The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force published an image of the aircraft and said: "Today, the U.S. Airforce made continued progress in our CCA program with the first flight of the YFQ-44A developed by Anduril. This milestone shows how competition drives innovation & accelerates delivery."
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