Anduril's YFQ-44A "Fury" Autonomous Fighter Jet Completes Maiden Flight, Marking New Era in Air Combat

VICTORVILLE, California – Anduril Industries' YFQ-44A "Fury" autonomous fighter jet successfully completed its maiden flight on October 31, 2025, a significant milestone for the United States Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. This development ushers in a new frontier for military tactics and technology, as highlighted by Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey. The flight test took place at a confidential test location in California.

Palmer Luckey, in a social media post, lauded the achievement, stating, "Huge milestone for Anduril, the Air Force, and the United States. The world's first autonomous fighter jet opens a new frontier for tactics, technology, and morality." The YFQ-44A, internally named "Fury," is designed as an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) intended to operate alongside crewed fighter aircraft like the F-22 and F-35 through manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).

The YFQ-44A is one of two designs selected for Increment I of the USAF's CCA program, with General Atomics' YFQ-42A having already conducted its first flight in August. Anduril's senior vice-president of engineering, Jason Levin, emphasized that the YFQ-44A was not designed for remote piloting, but for semi-autonomous operation from its inaugural flight. This approach allows the aircraft to execute mission plans, manage flight control, and adjust throttle independently, with human oversight "on the loop."

Acquired by Anduril in 2023 from Blue Force Technologies, the Fury design is approximately half the size of an F-16 Fighting Falcon. It boasts capabilities such as flying up to Mach 0.95 and pulling 9 Gs, aiming to provide "affordable mass" to augment the Air Force's fleet. The program prioritizes rapid development and production, with Anduril building a 5 million square foot production facility, Arsenal-1, in Columbus, Ohio, to scale manufacturing.

The advancement of autonomous combat aircraft raises profound ethical considerations regarding the role of artificial intelligence in warfare. While proponents emphasize enhanced efficiency and reduced risk to human pilots, critics, including international groups, express concerns about "killer robots" and the moral implications of delegating lethal decision-making to machines. Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf has previously stated that all company products include a "kill switch" for human intervention.