Military · Friday, 17 July 2026
US Air Force combat drone fires AIM-120 missile for first time
An Anduril YFQ-44A combat drone successfully fired an AIM-120 missile in a test over the Mojave Desert.
TL;DR
The Air Force confirmed the drone performed the targeting and launch sequence autonomously, though a human operator retained the final decision to fire. This milestone validates the digital integration models for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which aims to field autonomous escorts to operate alongside crewed fighters.
AeroTime16 Jul, 20:18 BST
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