US Air Force Conducts YFQ-44A Sorties at Edwards AFB to Develop Combat Aircraft Concepts
The United States Air Force (USAF) has conducted a series of exercises with the Anduril YFQ-44A collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) at Edwards Air Force Base in California. These exercises, led by the Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) of the Air Combat Command, aimed to develop operational concepts for the future use of CCAs. The EOU, in collaboration with the Air Force Material Command’s 412th Test Wing, simulated the operation and maintenance of the YFQ-44A in contested environments. The exercises included pre- and post-flight checks, weapons loading and unloading, and tasking the aircraft during taxiing and flights. The USAF emphasized the importance of these exercises in developing initial tactics, techniques, and procedures for CCAs, with a focus on the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, which involves dispersing aircraft and aircrew to complicate adversary targeting. 
