USAF and Anduril Industries mark first AIM-120 AMRAAM launch from YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft

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The United States Air Force (USAF) and Anduril Industries have confirmed a fresh milestone in the development of future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) after a YFQ-44A prototype successfully carried out the first launch of an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile during a test in the Mojave Desert, California. The trial, conducted from Edwards Air Force Base, marks the first time this new drone-built to fly alongside crewed fighters-has employed a weapon.

Also read: From opportunity to export: the obstacles Argentina’s defence industry must overcome

First AIM-120 AMRAAM launch from the YFQ-44A

A full BVR engagement using the Lattice autonomy system

According to details released by the Air Force and Anduril, the YFQ-44A carried out a complete Beyond Visual Range (BVR) attack against a simulated target. During the event, the Lattice autonomous system was fed the target data and-after a human operator authorised the action-the vehicle fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile, confirming the entire weapons-employment sequence in a combat-representative scenario.

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The Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, General Kenneth S. Wilsbach, described the test as “an important step” towards bringing collaborative combat aircraft into service. Anduril, for its part, underlined that this was far more than a simple weapons shot, because it demonstrated full integration across sensors, autonomous software, data links and weapons systems.

A programme designed to operate alongside crewed fighters

Developed by Anduril, the YFQ-44A sits within the first increment of the USAF-led Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme. These aircraft are intended to team with crewed platforms such as the F-35 Lightning II and the future F-47, carrying out missions including air superiority, strike, electronic warfare, reconnaissance or decoy tasks, under the oversight of a human pilot.

US officials emphasised that, despite the high level of autonomy these aircraft are designed to achieve, the decision to employ weapons will remain solely with a human operator, who retains control of the system throughout the mission. The AMRAAM launch also represents the culmination of a test campaign that began earlier in the year with inert weapon-carry trials, signalling a new level of maturity for a programme that plans to introduce around 1,000 collaborative combat aircraft over the coming decades.

A development effort gaining pace

This latest test adds to a string of advances over recent months. After completing its first flight in November 2025, the YFQ-44A moved into low-rate initial production in early 2026, and in June the Air Force awarded new contracts aimed at accelerating development across the different CCA families. In parallel, the programme’s second competitor-the General Atomics YFQ-42A-also expects to conduct its first weapons launch before the end of the year, reinforcing a pivotal phase in the evolution of these platforms that will accompany the next generation of US fighters.