All articles tagged with #autonomous aircraft
Anduril Industries has rolled out its Fury semi-autonomous fighter—the FQ-44—from Arsenal-1 in Pickaway County, Ohio, marking the first Ohio-built unit 557 days after the factory's reveal and three months ahead of schedule. The production line can reach about 150 Fury aircraft per year, as Ohio positions Arsenal-1 to grow its defense-manufacturing footprint and create thousands of jobs by 2035.
BAE Systems unveiled Brontanax, the UK’s first uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft, at Farnborough to augment crewed Typhoon aircraft with electronic warfare and precision strike capabilities. Built in Warton with involvement from 500+ staff and UK suppliers, Brontanax uses open, modular design to extend combat mass at lower cost and is planned to fly next year and enter service by the decade’s end under the £300m StormFighter program, aligning with the UK’s move toward a sixth‑generation air force and its carrier‑strike ambitions under Project Vanquish.
Anduril Industries and Archer Aviation unveiled Thunder, a hybrid-electric, dual-use autonomous rotorcraft designed for both defense and civilian air-taxi applications. The defense variant can carry missiles or rockets, patrol airspace, and operate with Archer’s VTOL tech, while Archer plans a commercial version for passengers. First flight for Thunder is targeted for 2027 after extensive testing, with Archer planning to announce initial customers for the commercial variant soon. The collaboration blends military-grade autonomy with urban-air mobility ambitions, drawing scrutiny over safety and weaponization risks amid fierce competition in both defense tech and the air-taxi space.
Anduril Industries has won the U.S. Air Force's production contract for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, delivering the FQ-44 semi-autonomous fighter from its Arsenal-1 line at up to 150 aircraft per year with open hardware/software to enable rapid upgrades; the deal marks the first semi-autonomous fighter entering serial production and accelerates a path to scalable, affordable airpower by the end of the decade.
Anduril's YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft has begun flight testing, marking a rapid development from design to flight in just 556 days, with a focus on autonomy, mass production, and collaboration with the U.S. Air Force to enhance air superiority and adapt to evolving threats.
Chipotle is partnering with Zipline to test drone delivery in Dallas, allowing select customers to receive orders via autonomous aircraft from a local restaurant, with plans for broader rollout and potential expansion based on test results.
The US Air Force is testing a self-flying F-16 fighter jet, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall volunteering to be a passenger to observe the autonomous technology in action. The AI-operated drones are designed with a potential future conflict with China in mind and could offer smarter, more efficient, and more affordable capabilities than traditional manned aircraft. However, concerns about the reliance on AI for strategic decisions have been raised, with critics cautioning against the potential risks of rapid conflict escalation.
Defense contractor Anduril has unveiled Roadrunner, a novel missile-like air vehicle that is highly modular, autonomous, and reusable. The Roadrunner-M version is equipped with a high-explosive warhead and can function as a low-cost loitering anti-air interceptor, capable of returning home for refueling and reuse. The platform, powered by twin turbojets, has been in development for two years and has undergone extensive flight testing. It can be quickly refueled and redeployed within minutes. Anduril aims to produce thousands of units and is also exploring other applications for Roadrunner, including firefighting and air-to-surface strikes.