DefenseUSAF reveals YFQ-44A carrying AIM-120 in CCA weapons integration tests
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has released the first official image of Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury collaborative combat aircraft carrying an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), a sign that the service is accelerating development to have a fleet of "combat drones" as soon as possible.
The photograph shows the YFQ-44A flying with an inert AIM-120 mounted externally under its wing. The current Fury configuration does not feature an internal weapons bay, making underwing carriage central to its initial weapons integration approach.
The image accompanied a 23 February statement from the Air Force announcing that the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program has entered a new phase of developmental testing focused on weapons integration and captive carry evaluations.
According to the service, inert test munitions are being used to validate structural performance, aerodynamic behavior and safe separation characteristics before any consideration of live employment.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach said the service is applying the same developmental methodology used for crewed combat aircraft, including validation of structural loads, flight characteristics and store separation dynamics.
The YFQ-44A is one of two designs selected for Increment 1 of the CCA program, alongside General Atomics’ YFQ-42A Dark Merlin. While renderings have previously depicted Fury armed with AMRAAMs, this marks the first time the Air Force has shown an operational prototype carrying the missile during flight testing. No comparable imagery has yet been released of the YFQ-42A with external stores.
The CCA concept centers on uncrewed aircraft operating in coordination with crewed fighters, extending sensor reach and missile capacity in contested environments. The Air Force has stressed that weapons release authority will remain under human control and that the current phase is strictly developmental.
The AIM-120 is a logical starting point for integration, given its widespread use across U.S. and allied fighter fleets. The Air Force has previously indicated that future operational CCA variants could carry the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, now under development as a successor to the AMRAAM.
Other nations have also explored arming loyal wingman-type aircraft. In December, Australia and Boeing conducted a live AMRAAM firing from the MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone.
The Air Force has not disclosed when live-fire testing might occur for the YFQ-44A, but the captive carry phase signals movement toward a more fully armed configuration as the CCA program advances beyond conceptual development.
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