The U.S. Air Force recently conducted its first-ever live-fire test using the unmanned, semiautonomous aircraft the service has dubbed as its “loyal wingmen.”
The Anduril-made YFQ-44A executed an end-to-end, beyond-line-of-sight strike against a simulated target during a live-fire test at Edwards Air Force Base, California, according to a company social media post Wednesday.
The YFQ-44A opened fire on a digital target using an inert AIM-120, which is an advanced medium-range air-to-air missile, an Air Force spokesperson told Military Times.
“We’re one step closer to getting [collaborative combat aircraft] to the warfighter with this live fire test!” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said in a Wednesday social media post.
The Air Force conducted hands-on testing with the YFQ-44A over a series of sorties in April. The aircraft first began its flight testing in October 2025. The CCAs are jet-powered, semi-autonomous aircraft meant to fly alongside crewed fighter jets, such as the F-35 and F-47.
The weapon was fired in a secluded airspace over the Mojave Desert with the 412th Test Wing’s Air Dominance Combined Test Force as part of a phased test progression that began with inert carriage evaluations earlier this year, according to a release.
Even though the aircraft are semi-autonomous and unmanned, the CCA will not autonomously deploy weapons, as the decision to release any remains with a human operator who has command and control of the platform at all times, per the statement.
To verify the aircraft’s handling, the previous inert weapons captive carry flights concentrated on collecting in-flight data, while following evaluations confirmed the data link integration between the aircraft and weapon system.
“Moving from inert carriage earlier in the year to this weapon release demonstrates program maturity, allowing us to validate our digital integration models with actual data,” Gen. Dale White, Department of Defense direct reporting portfolio manager for Critical Major Weapon Systems, said in the release.
The Air Force awarded the first CCA production contracts to Anduril and General Atomics last month for their YFQ-44A and YFQ-42A, respectively.
General Atomics’ YFQ-42A live-fire testing is slated for this fall, an Air Force spokesperson said. The YFQ-42A began its flight testing in August 2025.
For the CCA program, the service’s fiscal 2027 budget request included $996.5 million in procurement funding, $150 million in advanced procurement for the following fiscal year and $1.37 billion in continued research and development, for a total program request of $2.37 billion.
Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.
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