| YFQ-44 | |
|---|---|
 YFQ-44 in a ground test facility | |
| General information | |
| Type | Unmanned combat aerial vehicle,collaborative combat aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Anduril Industries |
| Status | Under development |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| History | |
| First flight | 31 October 2025[1] |
TheAnduril YFQ-44, internally named "Fury", is anunmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) currently under development byAnduril Industries. The aircraft is one of the winning designs for Increment I of theUnited States Air Force'sCollaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program and is intended to augment crewed fighter aircraft such as theF-22 Raptor,F-35 Lightning, and the plannedNext Generation Air Dominance fighter for air-to-air missions through manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).
The YFQ-44 was originally designed byBlue Force Technologies as anaggressor platform, initially called "Grackle" before being renamed "REDmedium" and eventually "Fury", to simulate high-end threats.[2] Blue Force Technologies was acquired by Anduril in 2023, and the Fury design was adapted as a submission for the U.S. Air Force's (USAF) CCA program.[3][4][5] The design was eventually selected as one of the two winners of the Increment I CCA alongside theGeneral AtomicsYFQ-42.[6]
The Fury's design as of 2023 is a fighter-like UCAV that is approximately half the dimensions of anF-16 Fighting Falcon. Its configuration consists of swept trapezoidal wings, a chin-mounted inlet, a cruciform tail arrangement withstabilators and a single vertical stabilizer, and weapons mounted on external hardpoints. The aircraft is designed to fly at up to 50,000 feet (15,200 m) and Mach 0.95, and capable of pulling a maximum of 9g, while sustaining up to 4.5g at about 20,000 feet (6,100 m). The Fury is to be powered by a singleWilliams FJ44-4M turbofan engine producing 4,000 pounds-force (17.8 kN) of thrust and has a maximum gross takeoff weight of 5,000 pounds (2,270 kg).[2] The design is expected to provide the USAF with "affordable mass" to augment its crewed fighters in air-to-air missions; its low cost nature, while not "attritable," enables users and commanders to take greater risks with them.[7] A mockup of the design was showcased during a September 2024 USAF conference.[8]
The aircraft received its formal designation during the 2025Air & Space Forces Association symposium. Flight testing was expected to begin in the summer of 2025,[9] but it was still delayed into September 2025.[10] The first flight occurred on 31 October 2025.[1]
Data from The War Zone[2]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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