US Air Force fires first live missile from an uncrewed fighter drone
In a first, the US Air Force conducted a live-fire test in which Anduril's uncrewed YFQ-44A drone launched an AIM-120 air-to-air missile over the Mojave Desert after an operator ordered the engagement. Earlier this year the same aircraft could only carry the weapon, so the shot marks a step up for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
The US Air Force says its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program reached a milestone when Anduril's uncrewed YFQ-44A took off from Edwards Air Force Base, tracked a target over the Mojave Desert, and fired a live AIM-120 air-to-air missile after an operator ordered the engagement. The aircraft's onboard software ingested the target track and a human gave the final order to fire. These drones are built as robotic wingmen to fly alongside crewed fighters and add mass in the air at lower cost. A rival design from General Atomics is scheduled for its own live-fire test later this year.