The prototype of Anduril’s unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV), the YFQ-44A “Fury”, one of two designs competing in the U.S. Air Force’s Increment 1 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, successfully completed its first flight a few days ago.
The U.S. Air Force defines a collaborative combat aircraft as an unmanned platform designed to operate as a partner to crewed fighters such as the F-35 and F-22 during missions.
In this system, a pilot, assisted by AI technology and guidance from experienced personnel on the ground, can direct these unmanned fighters to perform dangerous tasks that would otherwise put human pilots at great risk.
These UCAVs are intended to clear paths for crewed jets through areas heavily protected by air defense and electronic warfare systems — missions that would be nearly impossible or extremely risky for human pilots alone.
