FQ-44A Fury: Flight Record and Program Cost Target
The FQ-44A Fury is an unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft developed by Anduril Industries that first flew on October 31, 2025. On June 17, 2026, the US Air Force selected it for production, and Anduril builds it at Arsenal-1 in Ohio. No unit price is published. The less than $30 million per tail figure is a target for the CCA program and is not the Fury's price.
What the FQ-44A Fury Is
The FQ-44A Fury is a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) built by Anduril Industries for the US Air Force. The service selected Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems on June 17, 2026, to execute engineering, manufacturing development, and production contracts for CCA Increment 1. The selection followed an initial design phase in April 2024 where the Air Force chose Anduril and General Atomics over rival proposals from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.
The designation changes as the airframe moves out of development. The prototype is designated YFQ-44A. The Y marks a prototype, and the production aircraft is designated FQ-44A.
Two prototype airframes have confirmed public tail numbers: 25-1001 and 25-1003. The overall Increment 1 contract framework tasks Anduril and General Atomics with delivering at least 150 aircraft combined before the end of the decade. The sources do not state how the 150 aircraft are split between the two companies.
Testing and Production Timeline
The YFQ-44A prototype made its first flight on October 31, 2025, according to reports published by The Aviationist.
The Aviationist reports that Anduril started production of the YFQ-44A at Arsenal-1 as of March 23, 2026, three months ahead of the initial schedule. Arsenal-1 is a roughly $1 billion Anduril facility in Pickaway County, Ohio, and The Aviationist says it also builds Roadrunner and Barracuda.
As reported by The Defense Post, the first Ohio-built FQ-44A rolled off the Arsenal-1 assembly line on July 27, 2026.
Weapons Carriage and Autonomy Demonstrations
In February 2026, a YFQ-44A prototype conducted carriage flights with an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The missile was carried on external stores, and the reporting says production-variant details are unclear.
In March 2026, the airframe flew under Shield AI's Hivemind and Anduril's Lattice autonomy. The reported tests covered autonomous taxi, takeoff, waypoint patrol, return-to-base and landing.
In Air & Space Forces Magazine reporting on the June 2026 awards, mission-autonomy production options went to Anduril, Shield AI, and Collins Aerospace. These vendors operate under six-month contract line items and compete against a pool that includes Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and General Atomics. The reported plan is a potential down-select to two vendors and then one by summer 2027.
Program Cost Targets and Unit Pricing
The Air Force has not released an individual unit flyaway price for the FQ-44A Fury. The specific value of the engineering and manufacturing development production contract awarded on June 17, 2026, remains classified. For cost figures across other drone programs, see our military drone cost page.
Air & Space Forces Magazine reports a cost target for CCA Increment 1 of less than $30 million per tail, described as roughly one-third the cost of an F-35.
The sources do not say how the target is measured across production lots, and they give no unit price for the FQ-44A or the FQ-42A.
Published Requirements and Aircraft Specifications
The sources used for this page do not publish the FQ-44A's engine, dimensions, weight, speed or range.
The primary published benchmark is the operational radius required by the service. Air & Space Forces Magazine reports the Increment 1 performance requirement as a combat radius of at least 700 nautical miles. That is a program requirement; the FQ-44A's own range is not published.
The table sets the reported program requirements beside what the sources say about the Fury; cells the sources do not cover read Not published.
| Parameter | Air Force Requirement | FQ-44A Fury Published Status | Public Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combat Radius | At least 700 nautical miles | Not published | Air & Space Forces Magazine |
| Program Cost Target | Less than $30 million per tail | Not published (no unit price) | Air & Space Forces Magazine |
| First Flight Date | Not stated | October 31, 2025 | The Aviationist / The Defense Post |
| Weapons Carriage | Not stated | Carried AIM-120 AMRAAM in February 2026 | The Aviationist |
| Engine / Top Speed | Not stated | Unpublished | Not in the sources |
The FQ-44A Fury Compared to the FQ-42A
The Air Force selected two distinct designs to build at least 150 aircraft combined for Increment 1. Anduril supplies the FQ-44A Fury, while General Atomics Aeronautical Systems delivers the competing FQ-42A airframe. Both are Increment 1 aircraft. The reported 700 nautical mile radius requirement and the under $30 million per tail cost target apply to the program they share and are not published specs of either aircraft.
Our Vectis vs FQ-42A vs FQ-44A page puts the Fury, the FQ-42A and Lockheed Martin's Vectis in one table.
What Increment 1 Production Means for Anduril
Anduril won an Increment 1 production contract alongside General Atomics, after the Air Force chose the two over Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for design work in April 2024. See also our military drone companies page.
Anduril is a private company, and the sources give no Anduril financials. The contract value is classified, so there is no public revenue figure for the Fury program.
For Anduril's Fury offering listing, see the Anduril Fury offering page.
Who Should Not Count on Early Deliveries
Planners and military partners seeking flight-proven, operationally deployed squadrons should not rely on early production lots of the FQ-44A Fury. The first Ohio-built FQ-44A rolled off the line on July 27, 2026, and the Increment 1 contracts cover at least 150 aircraft combined by the end of the decade.
Two specific events would alter our assessment of this program. Losing the mission-autonomy down-select, which the Air Force could narrow to one vendor by summer 2027, would remove Anduril from the Increment 1 autonomy work. Reported delays at Arsenal-1 would also undo the three-months-ahead-of-schedule record cited above.
For milestone updates, check The Defense Post's Arsenal-1 report.
Drones and UAS FAQs
How much does the anduril fury cost?
The exact unit purchase price of the FQ-44A Fury is not published in the sources for this page. The service set an overall program cost target of less than $30 million per tail for Increment 1. Air & Space Forces Magazine describes that target as roughly one-third the cost of an F-35.
Has the anduril fury flown?
Yes, the prototype YFQ-44A completed its first flight on October 31, 2025. It subsequently executed missile carriage tests with an AIM-120 in February 2026, and the first Ohio-built production model rolled off the assembly line on July 27, 2026.
What does YFQ 44A mean?
The Y prefix marks a prototype. YFQ-44A is the prototype name and FQ-44A is the production designation. The sources for this page do not explain the remaining letters and digits.
What is the maximum speed the Anduril Fury can fly?
The sources for this page do not publish the FQ-44A Fury's top speed or engine.
What is the range of the Anduril Fury?
The Fury's own range is not published. However, the US Air Force set a formal program performance requirement calling for a combat radius of at least 700 nautical miles for Increment 1 aircraft.