In recent days, Shield AI announced via its social media channels that the new YFQ-44A collaborative combat drone of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) completed flight tests with the Hivemind system, as part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The trial took place over the Mojave Desert and represents progress in integrating mission autonomy software within the architecture planned for future unmanned aerial systems that will operate alongside crewed aircraft.
Shield AI reported that its Hivemind mission autonomy software successfully completed its first test flight aboard the YFQ-44A, an aircraft developed by Anduril Industries. This evaluation follows the USAF’s selection of the company as the mission autonomy provider for the CCA program, following a competitive process aimed at supporting Technology Maturity and Risk Reduction (TMRR) efforts.
During the test flight, Hivemind met all required objectives to demonstrate full system integration and its mission autonomy capabilities aboard the YFQ-44A. According to the announcement, the software managed updates while the mission was in progress and executed initial operational behaviors, enabling the expansion of future tests focused on autonomous tactics within the CCA program.
Christian Gutierrez, vice president of Hivemind Solutions at Shield AI, stated: “This flight test demonstrates the potential of airpower based on mission autonomy.” He also added that “across platforms, domains, and environments, Hivemind provides resilient mission autonomy, proving that the software is central to the future of airpower,” and noted that the collaboration with Anduril reflects a new phase in defense acquisition, where autonomy is considered a capability as fundamental as the aircraft itself.
For the first time, the USAF independently selected the mission autonomy software and the aircraft, marking a shift in acquisition processes toward software-led solutions. The program also aims to establish a common standard through the implementation of the Government Autonomy Reference Architecture (A-GRA), a modular, open-system approach that prioritizes development speed, innovation, and software-centric logic.
Previous developments of the YFQ-44A
The YFQ-44A, also known as “Fury,” is one of two autonomous aircraft evaluated in Phase I, or Increment I, of the CCA program. The other is the YFQ-42A model developed by General Atomics, which began its test campaign in late August 2025 as part of advancing sixth-generation air combat systems that integrate crewed and uncrewed platforms in contested operational environments.
In February 2026, the USAF also began weapons integration tests with the YFQ-44A, including a flight equipped with an inert AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, as part of the process to validate its use alongside crewed aircraft. These evaluations are part of the development of a force architecture that envisions the coordinated deployment of collaborative combat drones with next-generation fighters, consolidating the incorporation of advanced autonomy into U.S. airpower.
*Cover image obtained from Shield AI.
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