- The United States Air Force released the first image of Anduril’s YFQ-44 Fury drone carrying an inert AIM-120 missile as part of weapons integration testing under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
- Captive carry evaluations are validating airworthiness, structural performance, and safe weapons compatibility as the Air Force advances development of autonomous aircraft designed to operate alongside crewed fighters.
The United States Air Force has released the first official image showing Anduril’s YFQ-44 Fury collaborative combat aircraft carrying an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), confirming the program has entered the next phase of developmental testing focused on weapons integration and captive carry evaluations.
The image accompanied a recent Air Force press release outlining progress within the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
The milestone reflects the Air Force’s effort to validate how autonomous aircraft will safely integrate weapons as part of future human-machine combat teams. Captive carry testing allows engineers to assess structural performance and flight safety before any consideration of live weapons employment, addressing early integration risks as the service develops unmanned combat platforms intended to operate alongside crewed aircraft.
According to the Air Force, the newly released image shows a YFQ-44 Fury ‘fighter drone’ prototype equipped with an inert AIM-120 missile used strictly for developmental testing. The aircraft is undergoing disciplined evaluations designed to confirm airworthiness, aerodynamic performance, and compatibility between the drone and external weapons systems.
The service said captive carry testing evaluates the aircraft’s ability to safely transport external stores while validating structural integrity and flight characteristics. These tests also confirm that weapons integration meets safety and performance requirements before progressing toward later testing phases.
“We are following the same detailed approach used in every other aircraft developmental test program to validate structural performance, flight characteristics and safe separation,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach. “This ensures the CCA can safely integrate inert weapons before future employment.”
Program officials emphasized that the current phase remains developmental rather than operational. The use of inert test munitions allows engineers and test pilots to collect performance data in controlled conditions without the risks associated with live ordnance.
The YFQ-44 Fury is part of the Air Force’s broader Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative, which aims to field autonomous or semi-autonomous aircraft capable of operating as teammates to crewed fighters. These aircraft are intended to extend mission reach and support operations in contested environments while remaining integrated within established command structures.
“CCA is a critical part of a larger, integrated system-of-systems that will give our warfighters the overwhelming advantage,” Wilsbach said. “This program is about delivering a network of effects that will sense, strike and shield our forces in contested environments. We are empowering our teams to take smart risks and deliver this capability faster, ensuring we can deter, and if necessary, defeat any adversary.”
The Air Force stated that human operators will retain authority over weapons release decisions throughout development and future operations. Officials said the aircraft is being designed to operate within existing legal frameworks and command oversight governing all Air Force weapons systems.
Technically, captive carry testing represents a standard step in aircraft development programs. During this phase, test aircraft carry inert versions of weapons externally to measure aerodynamic effects, structural loads, vibration behavior, and safe separation characteristics. Engineers analyze how the aircraft performs with mounted weapons before conducting release tests or live-fire evaluations.
For the YFQ-44 Fury, integrating an AIM-120 AMRAAM demonstrates the aircraft’s intended role as an air-to-air combat contributor rather than a purely reconnaissance platform. The AMRAAM is a beyond-visual-range missile widely used by U.S. and allied air forces, making it a logical baseline weapon for early integration testing.