Engineering:Anduril FQ-44

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Short description: Unmanned combat aircraft under development by Anduril
FQ-44
File:YFQ-44 ground test.jpg
YFQ-44 in a ground test facility
General information
National originUnited States
ManufacturerAnduril Industries
Management and usageUnited States Air Force
Number builtAt least 3[1][2]
History
First flight31 October 2025[3]

The Anduril FQ-44, internally named "Fury", is an American unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) currently under development by Anduril Industries. The aircraft is one of the winning designs for Increment I of the United States Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program and is intended to augment crewed fighter aircraft such as the F-15EX Eagle II, F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning, and the planned Boeing F-47 fighter for air-to-air missions through manned–unmanned teaming (MUM-T).

Development and design

The FQ-44 was originally designed by Blue Force Technologies as an aggressor platform, initially called "Grackle" before being renamed "REDmedium" and eventually "Fury", to simulate high-end threats.[4] 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.[5][6][7] The design was eventually selected as one of the two winners of the Increment I CCA alongside the General Atomics YFQ-42.[8]

The Fury's design as of 2023 is a fighter-like UCAV that is approximately half the dimensions of an F-16 Fighting Falcon. Its configuration consists of swept trapezoidal wings, a chin-mounted inlet, a cruciform tail arrangement with stabilators 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 9 g, while sustaining up to 4.5 g at about 20,000 feet (6,100 m). The Fury is to be powered by a single Williams 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).[4] 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.[9] A mockup of the design was showcased during a September 2024 USAF conference.[10]

The aircraft received its formal designation during the 2025 Air & Space Forces Association symposium. Flight testing was expected to begin in the summer of 2025,[11] but it was still delayed into September 2025.[12] The first flight occurred on 31 October 2025.[3]

On 17 June 2026, the Air Force announced it had selected both the Fury and General Atomics' YFQ-42 for an initial production contract, with a combined 150 FQ-44s and FQ-42s to be built by 2030.[2]

Variants

  • YFQ-44A: Prototype aircraft tested by the U.S. Air Force.
  • FQ-44A: Production aircraft selected for the U.S. Air Force.[13]

Operators

 United States
  • United States Air Force

Specifications (estimated)

File:YFQ-44A - Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.jpg
YFQ-44A armed with AIM-120 AMRAAMs

Data from The War Zone[4]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 0 onboard
  • Length: 20 ft (6.1 m)
  • Wingspan: 17 ft (5.2 m)
  • Max takeoff weight: 5,000 lb (2,268 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Williams FJ44-4M turbofan, 4,000 lbf (18 kN) thrust

Performance

  • Maximum speed: Mach 0.95
  • Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
  • g limits: +9 / −3

Armament

  • Hardpoints: 2× weapons stations
  • Missiles: 2× AIM-120 AMRAAM

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

Related lists

References

  1. ↑ "Air Force validates open architecture, expands Collaborative Combat Aircraft ecosystem". US Air Force. 12 February 2026. https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4405471/air-force-validates-open-architecture-expands-collaborative-combat-aircraft-eco/. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Trevithick, Joseph (17 June 2026). "USAF Orders Both General Atomics’ FQ-42 And Anduril’s FQ-44 Into Production". The Warzone. https://www.twz.com/air/usaf-orders-both-general-atomics-fq-42-and-andurils-fq-44-into-production. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Trevithick, Joseph (31 October 2025). "Anduril’s YFQ-44 Fury ‘Fighter’ Drone Has Flown". https://www.twz.com/air/andurils-yfq-44-fury-fighter-drone-has-flown. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Trevithick, Joseph; Rogoway, Tyler (11 September 2023). "The Rise of Fury". The War Zone. https://www.twz.com/the-rise-of-fury. 
  5. ↑ Parmar, Abhinav; Stone, Mike (September 6, 2023). "Palmer Luckey's defense tech startup Anduril buys autonomous aircraft maker". Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/palmer-luckeys-defense-tech-startup-anduril-buys-autonomous-aircraft-maker-2023-09-07/. 
  6. ↑ Decker, Audrey (23 September 2024). "Dueling robot wingmen take the stage". Defense One. https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2024/09/dueling-robot-wingmen-take-stage/399746/. 
  7. ↑ Insinna, Valerie (10 September 2024). "Anduril, General Atomics to showcase drone wingmen models at Air Force conference next week". Breaking Defense. https://breakingdefense.com/2024/09/anduril-general-atomics-to-showcase-drone-wingmen-models-at-air-force-conference-next-week/. 
  8. ↑ Tirpak, John (2024-04-25). "Anduril and General Atomics to Develop New Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Air Force" (in en-US). https://www.airandspaceforces.com/cca-contract-winners-to-be-announced-imminently/. 
  9. ↑ Finnerty, Ryan (19 September 2024). "USAF’s first autonomous combat jets will act as air-to-air ‘missile trucks’ for crewed fighters". FlightGlobal. https://www.flightglobal.com/military-uavs/usafs-first-autonomous-combat-jets-will-act-as-air-to-air-missile-trucks-for-crewed-fighters/160011.article. 
  10. ↑ D'Urso, Stefano (17 September 2024). "Anduril And General Atomics Showcase Collaborative Combat Aircraft Mockups". The Aviationist. https://theaviationist.com/2024/09/17/anduril-and-general-atomics-showcase-collaborative-combat-aircraft-mockups/. 
  11. ↑ Gordon, Chris (3 March 2025). "America’s First Unmanned Fighters Are Here: YFQ-42 and YFQ-44". Air and Space Forces Magazine. Air and Space Forces Association. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/americas-first-unmanned-fighters-yfq-42-yfq-44/. 
  12. ↑ "Anduril’s Fury Will Take Off For The First Time At The Touch Of A Button". TWZ. 22 September 2025. https://www.twz.com/air/andurils-fury-collaborative-combat-drone-will-takeoff-for-first-time-at-touch-of-a-button. 
  13. ↑ Losey, Stephen (17 June 2026). "Air Force Selects Both General Atomics and Anduril for CCA Production". Air & Space Forces Magazine. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-general-atomics-anduril-cca-production-contracts/. 




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