US Air Force Tests Armed Collaborative Combat Drones at Creech Base

From July 20 to 24, the United States Air Force conducted an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, in which two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes were armed, refueled and relaunched like crewed fighters. Airmen from the Experimental Operations Unit loaded inert AIM‑120 air‑to‑air missiles onto Anduril’s YFQ‑44A Fury and General Atomics’ YFQ‑42A Dark Merlin, flying multiple sorties that integrated the semi‑autonomous drones with manned aircraft in the same airspace.

The exercise showcased a rapid‑testing procedure aimed at speeding fielding decisions. Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force personnel observed the operations, reflecting a joint U.S.–Netherlands effort to develop open‑architecture, data‑sharing capabilities for combined missions. The test followed production contracts awarded to Anduril and General Atomics in June, months ahead of schedule, and preceded Anduril’s first production Fury rollout in Ohio. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach emphasized that “CCA are essential” for affordable air superiority, while acquisition executive Col. Tim Helfrich called having two manufacturers at scale a “huge strategic asset.”