Four months after the aircraft’s first semi-autonomous flight, the YFQ-44A took off and autonomously approached a designated point before activating Shield AI’s Hivemind mission autonomy software. Hivemind completed a series of test cards, after which the aircraft seamlessly switched to Anduril’s Lattice for Mission Autonomy software to complete the same test points before landing safely.
According to the company, the flight demonstrates rapid progress within the CCA program, with Anduril selected to produce prototypes in April 2024 and achieving semi-autonomous flight 556 days later. The integration of a separately developed autonomy stack was enabled by early implementation of the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) on both the aircraft and the software systems.
Engineers from Anduril and Shield AI worked closely to integrate Hivemind with the YFQ-44A’s flight control software. The combined system was tested through extensive software-in-the-loop simulations and hardware-in-the-loop events prior to the mission autonomy flight.
During the test, Hivemind managed the aircraft through complex test points representative of future mission concepts of operation. The company stated that the software performed as expected, validating the integration and development approach.
In parallel, Anduril has developed its own Lattice for Mission Autonomy baseline over the past year. The company said it invested internal resources to build what it describes as a mission autonomy capability focused on air dominance and aligned with the CCA program’s emphasis on modularity and competition.
The Air Force has structured the CCA program around open hardware and software architectures, including the A-GRA standard, to support rapid integration of different capabilities. The integration of both Hivemind and Lattice software on a single sortie is presented as evidence of the YFQ-44A’s modular design.
Designed with open systems and external stores, the YFQ-44A can be configured with various mission systems, software suites and payloads. Anduril stated that this approach supports evolving mission requirements and fosters a competitive ecosystem of software providers for the Air Force.
The company described the recent flight as a significant milestone for its Lattice for Mission Autonomy system and part of broader efforts to advance military aviation defined by autonomy, flexibility and speed. From prototype production to increasingly complex mission testing, Anduril said it continues to expand the YFQ-44A’s operational capabilities in partnership with the U.S. Air Force and industry collaborators.
