Anduril Flies YFQ-44A Jet Drone: Inside the USAF’s Next Combat Wingman

Anduril Industries has leapt ahead in the Pentagon’s race for autonomous “loyal-wingman” drones, completing the maiden flight of its jet-powered YFQ-44A demonstrator just 556 days after the first line of computer code was written. The Silicon Valley-backed defense-tech company—founded by Oculus VR creator Palmer Luckey—flew the stealth-shaped aircraft semi-autonomously at a California test range. Engineers say the drone handled its own flight controls and throttle while human operators supplied only high-level commands, landing “at the push of a button” when the mission ended. Why the flight matters • First-mover advantage: Anduril is vying with General Atomics and at least 18 other vendors for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which could buy thousands of AI-enabled wingmen to fly alongside F-35s and next-generation fighters. • Compressed timelines: Moving from a clean-sheet design to wheels-up in under two years validates the Pentagon’s push to adopt commercial-style agile development and software-centered upgrades. • Production ready: The company plans to begin low-rate manufacturing next year at a newly leased facility in Ohio, positioning itself for rapid scale if it wins the upcoming Increment 2 down-select. Inside the YFQ-44A The prototype is roughly the size of a small business jet but lacks a cockpit, trading human payload for sensors, weapons bays and a powerful onboard computer running Anduril’s Lattice OS. The AI stack lets the aircraft autonomously form up with crewed jets, jam enemy radars, or act as a decoy—missions that are risky or cost-prohibitive for manned aircraft. Growing defense portfolio Beyond the CCA effort, Anduril recently bought American Infrared Solutions to secure domestic supply of high-resolution thermal cameras, bolstering its Menace family of counter-drone systems and Sentry surveillance towers. The startup also collaborates with Palantir, integrating Lattice with Palantir’s Edge platform so frontline units can task drones and ground sensors from a single tablet—reducing data-to-decision time on contested battlefields. Market outlook Analysts at PitchBook estimate the loyal-wingman addressable market could top $30 billion by 2035 as Australia, Japan and the U.K. explore similar drone swarms. Anduril’s fast iteration cycle and software-first model may help it capture a significant slice even if the company remains privately held. What’s next • Increment 2 bids are due in December; contract awards are expected mid-2026. • Anduril aims to validate air-to-air missile separation and autonomous formation-flying in early 2026 flight tests. • Lawmakers are pressuring the Air Force to fund at least 200 CCAs in the FY-27 budget, accelerating fielding to counter growing threats in the Indo-Pacific. Bottom line The YFQ-44A’s on-schedule first flight turns Anduril from an ambitious newcomer into a front-runner for one of the Pentagon’s most coveted modernization programs. If flight-test data match the company’s marketing hype, the venture-backed firm could rewrite how quickly America fields combat aircraft—and how much autonomy those aircraft will have when they leave the runway.