The U.S. Air Force has selected Anduril for the production phase of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Under the contract, Anduril will deliver an initial set of production FQ-44 semi-autonomous fighter aircraft to support testing, validation, and operational fielding. The contract also establishes a structure for the Air Force to purchase additional lots over the next several years, providing a clear path to rapidly and affordably expand fighter capacity.
The FQ-44 is the first semi-autonomous fighter aircraft to move into serial production.
Speed
The threat demands urgency. Crewed fighters cannot be produced at the timelines or scales required for a high-end fight. The CCA program addresses this by rapidly fielding large numbers of affordable, mass-producible semi-autonomous fighter aircraft. From prototype award in April 2024 to production contract in June 2026 represents the fastest path from prototype to production for a fighter aircraft in more than 50 years. By announcing a production decision months ahead of schedule, the Air Force has demonstrated its confidence in the program.
Operationally-Relevant Capability
FQ-44 has the ferry range to deploy anywhere in the world, can take off and land on short fields, and has a combat radius exceeding current crewed fighters. It has the payload capacity to make a real impact on the battlefield. Across hundreds of hours with Air Force experts and thousands of simulations, FQ-44 has proven it will excel in high-end combat.
Today, multiple FQ-44 aircraft are flying regularly, with dozens of sorties completed from multiple airfields. The team has flown two different mission autonomy software suites and integrated inert air-to-air munitions. In the first exercise with the Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit, a small crew with days of training successfully launched, recovered, and turned multiple sorties without the infrastructure of a large base.
FQ-44 was designed to evolve: its modular design and open architectures ensure rapid integration of new capabilities as operational demands require.
Production
From the start, the focus has been on delivering at scale. Anduril has been refining its production system in parallel with aircraft development for two years. The production line at Arsenal-1 is already active and capable of delivering up to 150 aircraft per year in its current configuration, with everything on wheels to enable rapid iteration and scaling.
Way Forward
The Air Force’s decision marks the first time a new company has won a fighter aircraft program since the 1970s. What began as an idea has evolved into a production-ready capability in record time. As Anduril moves into the next phase — scaling production and fielding an operational capability — the aircraft, team, and ability to overcome challenges remain the foundation of this historic effort.
