Fury in the Sky: Anduril’s Autonomous Wingman Flies with F-35s
Anduril’s Fury autonomous aircraft has begun flight tests alongside F-35s, marking a milestone in Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) development. This marks a new era of uncrewed teaming in modern aerial warfare.
The future of air superiority is no longer just about the pilot in the cockpit; it’s about the autonomous "loyal wingmen" flying beside them. Anduril Industries has reached a major milestone with its YFQ-44A Fury, which has now conducted flight tests alongside F-35 Lightning II fighters. The Fury is a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) designed to provide scale, sensor depth, and weapon capacity to crewed fighter formations.
The Fury is built on Anduril’s Lattice software platform, an AI backbone that allows the drone to operate with high levels of autonomy. During these flights, the focus was on "crewed-uncrewed teaming" (MUM-T), where the F-35 pilot can direct the Fury to scout ahead, jam enemy radars, or even engage targets, all while the drone handles the complexities of flight and tactical maneuvering on its own.
This development comes as the U.S. Space Force admits to having weapons in orbit and the Pentagon increasingly relies on "Project Maven" as its central AI app. The message is clear: the U.S. military is pivoting toward an AI-first defense posture. High-performance, low-cost autonomous jets like the Fury allow for "attritable" mass—the ability to field large numbers of lethal systems that are significantly cheaper than crewed jets, fundamentally changing the calculus of aerial engagement against near-peer adversaries.
Source: TWZ (The Drive)
