YFQ-44A Fury Drone Successfully Tested with F-35 Fighters
The YFQ-44A Fury drone, developed by Anduril under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, has successfully conducted flights alongside F-35 fighters during U.S. Air Force testing.
This marks a significant step in demonstrating the interaction between drones and fifth-generation manned fighters.
The tests are crucial for the U.S. Air Force's broader concept of using relatively inexpensive autonomous aircraft to support manned fighters in contested environments.
During the July flights, the F-35 crew did not directly control the Fury. Instead, the drone operated under its Mission Autonomy system while flying in the same airspace as manned fighters and other aircraft. U.S. Air Force personnel were able to work with the autonomous control system without direct oversight from Anduril specialists, who provided technical support.
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How the F-35 will control the Fury remains part of ongoing integration efforts. Anduril is currently working on integrating the necessary human-machine interfaces, with a tablet interface likely being the primary control method on board the manned fighter.
The distinction between flying alongside the F-35 and controlling the Fury from it is significant. The former demonstrates that the aircraft and its autonomous systems can safely operate in the same combat space, while the latter would represent a more substantial demonstration of the CCA concept: a single manned fighter could manage and control additional autonomous aircraft, integrating them into a larger combat system.
