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4h ago

Air Force CCA Proves Plug-and-Play Autonomy as Anduril Drone Switches AI Pilots Midflight

The test validates the service’s software-first architecture that decouples mission autonomy from the airframe.

Hivemind flew Anduril's YFQ-44A aircraft for the first time in a test over the Mojave Desert.
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Overview

  • Anduril’s YFQ-44A flew Feb. 24 under Shield AI’s Hivemind, then switched in the same sortie to a second autonomy stack without landing.
  • Anduril later identified the second stack as its Lattice for Mission Autonomy, which the Air Force is not considering for CCA Increment 1.
  • General Atomics’ YFQ-42A flew earlier this month with Collins Aerospace’s Sidekick, reinforcing the program’s multi-vendor approach.
  • Shield AI said Hivemind completed required test points on the YFQ-44A, including mid-mission updates and basic operational maneuvers.
  • The Air Force plans to send both prototypes to the Experimental Operations Unit within months, pursue F-22 teaming later this year, and target production decisions for Increment 1 by the end of 2026.