US Air Force YFQ-44A drone fires AIM‑120 in first live‑fire test

On July 15 2026, the U.S. Air Force conducted its first live‑fire engagement using a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Anduril’s YFQ‑44A “Fury” drone launched an AIM‑120 Advanced Medium‑Range Air‑to‑Air Missile (AMRAAM) at a digital target over the Mojave Desert from Edwards Air Force Base. The aircraft autonomously located, tracked and positioned for the shot, while a human operator on the ground issued the final fire command, in line with the service’s policy that weapons release remains under human control.

The test, overseen by the 412th Test Wing’s Air Dominance Combined Test Force, marks a milestone in the CCA program, which aims to field semi‑autonomous “robotic wingmen” that can operate alongside crewed fighters. Officials highlighted the program’s software‑driven architecture, citing Anduril’s Lattice autonomous software and the decoupled software‑hardware approach that allows rapid capability updates. Gen. Ken Wilsbach called the event “an important next step” toward delivering the capability to the warfighter, while Gen. Dale White noted the progression from inert carriage to live‑weapon release demonstrates program maturity.

The YFQ‑44A is one of two aircraft selected for the first increment of the CCA effort, the other being General Atomics’ YFQ‑42A. The Air Force envisions a future fleet of up to 1,000 attritable drones that can perform air‑to‑air, strike, reconnaissance, electronic‑warfare and decoy missions, extending the reach and survivability of U.S. airpower in contested environments.