It operates autonomously, carrying out its mission, adjusting its trajectory, and returning to land without human intervention. The unmanned fighter jet “Fury” made its first maiden flight at the end of October.
The announcement revealed by the American program 60 Minutes is a symbol of the American army’s desire to move forward with a futuristic fighter aircraft program, considering that the YFQ-44A, its official name, has been ordered by the US Air Force.
“Emergency stop button”
Developed by defense technology startup Anduril, “Fury” underwent its first full-scale tests in semi-autonomous conditions. The aircraft was monitored 100% of the time by someone on the ground, and the test flight was deemed successful.
This combat drone is still equipped with an “emergency stop button” so that the pilot can take over the steering remotely. Anger also requires a person’s consent to carry out a lethal act, such as firing a missile. Other than that, he is a hunter like the others.
“This system flies ahead of manned fighter jets and is able to spot enemies in advance, then attack them long before the manned fighter jet is visible or within range,” said Brian Schimpf, CEO and co-founder of Anduril. Therefore, the most important thing is to ensure deterrence by deploying these systems long before the fighter aircraft is piloted. »
The YFQ-44A is also a collaborative fighter aircraft (CCA), equipped with artificial intelligence that allows it to operate in conjunction with piloted fighters.
“The goal of this system is to be mass produced,” said CEO Anduril, at potentially much lower costs than classic fighters. “We designed nearly every part of this product to be manufactured in hundreds of different locations across the United States by many different suppliers,” he explains.
But Anduril’s startup isn’t the only thing in the file. The Pentagon also awarded the project to General Atomics, which has already conducted two test flights with its YFQ-42A.
“I thought we were in a race against China. Our enemy was not another American defense company,” recalls Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril. According to the latter, the United States faces “a highly competent and credible adversary” that has significant advantages in this area.
