Several weeks after Anduril officially unveiled the YFQ-44A in Ohio, the new combat drone has completed its second exercise with experimental units from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The activity expanded the responsibilities assigned to operational personnel and marked another step in preparing the system for future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) operations
The exercise was conducted by the Experimental Operations Unit (EOU), which was established to integrate operational personnel into the early stages of the program. Its objective is to test employment concepts, mission planning, logistics and sustainment before the CCAs move toward operational deployment
YFQ-44A expands its role during the exercise
During this second exercise, EOU operators assumed greater responsibility across different stages of mission execution. Personnel controlled the aircraft from multiple locations, an approach intended to reduce manpower requirements and enable CCA operations from bases with limited infrastructure
Operational users also supervised daily autonomous mission flights involving the YFQ-44A for the first time. This capability allowed the system to execute tactics and maneuvers associated with operational scenarios, helping evaluate its performance under more complex employment conditions
The exercise also tested the operators’ ability to sustain a high operational tempo. Scheduled flight operations were conducted over the course of a week, with multiple days involving more than one sortie, while personnel continued to build familiarity with the new system
The CCA program moves toward Operational Capability
The second exercise built on the results of the EOU’s first activity, which took place in April. During that event, operators participated for the first time in launching, recovering and sustaining the YFQ-44A, representing an important step toward transitioning the aircraft from the prototype stage to a future combat capability
The U.S. Air Force considers testing with operational users a central component of the CCA program. These exercises allow the service to develop and validate procedures before introducing production-standard FQ-44 aircraft on a larger scale
Creech Air Force Base is expected to play an important role in the program’s next phases. The installation was also where the drone underwent its initial operational testing last July. Thousands of sorties are expected to be conducted with the YFQ-44A prototypes and future FQ-44 semi-autonomous combat aircraft. The base already has extensive experience operating unmanned aircraft, including through the 432nd Wing, which operates the MQ-9A Reaper
The new YFQ-44A combat drone forms part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft concept, which seeks to integrate uncrewed systems with crewed aircraft. The tests conducted at Creech will help further define the tactics, techniques and procedures required for the system’s eventual integration into the USAF’s operational force
*Images courtesy of Anduril
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