YFQ-44A Fury
Anduril's autonomous combat drone for the USAF CCA programme; first to carry an AIM-120 missile.
Last refreshed: 30 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can a $20 million drone wingman change how the US Air Force fights?
Timeline for YFQ-44A Fury
Mentioned in: Anduril names Sandia on Golden Dome team
Drones: Industry & DefenceMentioned in: Anduril joins Golden Dome OTA pool
Drones: Industry & DefenceMentioned in: Anduril hires for Roadrunner at Arsenal-1
Drones: Industry & DefenceArsenal-1 adds three more weapons lines
Drones: Industry & DefenceArsenal-1 Ships First Fury Four Months Early
Drones: Industry & Defence- What is the Fury drone?
- Anduril's autonomous combat drone built to fly alongside F-35s and F-22s as an AI wingman. First flew October 2025, now in production at Arsenal-1 in Ohio.Source: background
- How much does a CCA drone cost?
- The Fury uses aluminium airframes and commercial components to keep unit costs low enough for mass production. Congress allocated $680 million for the CCA programme's current phase.Source: quick_facts
- Can the Fury fire missiles?
- It completed captive-carry testing with an AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile in February 2026. Live-fire tests are planned for later in 2026.Source: background
- What AI does the Fury drone use?
- Both Anduril's Lattice and Shield AI's Hivemind. The drone switched between them mid-flight, proving it's not locked to one software provider.Source: background
- Where are Fury drones being made?
- Arsenal-1, Anduril's 5-million-square-foot factory near Columbus, Ohio. Production started March 2026, months ahead of schedule.Source: quick_facts
- What is the YFQ-44A Fury and what is it designed to do?
- The YFQ-44A Fury is Anduril's autonomous combat drone competing in the US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme. It is designed to fly as a loyal wingman alongside crewed F-35s and F-22s, carrying weapons autonomously in contested environments. It is classified as a CCA — Collaborative Combat Aircraft — reflecting its role as an attritable autonomous platform working with human pilots.Source: industry-report
- When did the Fury drone enter production and how many can Arsenal-1 build?
- The first YFQ-44A Fury shipped from Arsenal-1 in late March 2026, four months ahead of the announced July 2026 target. At full three-shift capacity the 22-workstation production line can produce 150 aircraft per year. The workforce is scaling from 30 workers to 250 by end-2026.Source: industry-report
- Can the Fury drone run Shield AI's Hivemind software?
- Yes. The Fury demonstrated a mid-flight software switch between Shield AI's Hivemind and Anduril's own Lattice autonomy platform, confirming the airframe is software-agnostic. This suggests the two competing autonomy platforms — from direct rivals in the CCA race — could end up interoperable rather than exclusive.Source: industry-report
- How does the Fury compare with Northrop Grumman's Talon Blue CCA?
- The YFQ-44A Fury (Anduril) and YFQ-48A Talon Blue (Northrop Grumman) are competing in the same USAF CCA programme. The Fury has entered serial production at Arsenal-1, while the Talon Blue represents a traditional prime's approach. Congress allocated $680 million for the CCA phase; the final production contract winner has not been announced.Source: industry-report
Background
The YFQ-44A Fury is Anduril's autonomous combat aircraft competing in the US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme, designed to fly as a loyal wingman alongside crewed fighters including the F-35 and F-22. It completed captive-carry testing with an inert AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, the first CCA candidate to reach weapons integration, and first flew on 31 October 2025. Congress allocated $680 million for the CCA programme's current phase.
Serial production began at Arsenal-1, Anduril's 5-million-square-foot Ohio factory in Pickaway County, with the first aircraft shipped four months ahead of the announced July 2026 target. The Fury is the first platform to enter production at Arsenal-1; Roadrunner is the second, with hiring for that line posted in April 2026. At full three-shift capacity, the 22-workstation line can produce 150 aircraft per year.
The Fury demonstrated a mid-flight switch between Shield AI's Hivemind and Anduril's Lattice autonomy software, proving the airframe is software-agnostic and opening the possibility that the two competing platforms may operate interoperably rather than exclusively. The Fury is built around ArsenalOS, a modular digital backbone enabling rapid updates to autonomous behaviours and mission profiles, using aluminium airframes and commercial off-the-shelf components to keep unit costs low for attritable mass production.