Earlier in October, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey told reporters that the shutdown would “certainly” delay the maiden flight of its YFQ-44A unmanned aircraft. He has since backtracked.

The shutdown of the federal government that began on October 1 has resulted in many Department of Defense (DoD) programs being put on temporary hold, and as the shutdown drags on, there could be lasting consequences to America’s military readiness. The Pentagon announced it would use billions in unobligated research and development (R&D) funds to pay active-duty military personnel through the shutdown, effectively freezing new research initiatives. 

In addition, the DoD will pause most contracts directed towards experimental programs, university research grants, and similar projects. It will likewise be unable to start any new acquisition or production programs until the shutdown is resolved.

The “Collaborative Combat Aircraft” Are Still on Track—for Now

One advanced program that is unaffected, at least for now, is the United States Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which aims to develop a fleet of autonomous, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to serve alongside fifth-generation and sixth-generation manned fighters.

“There are currently no impacts to the Department of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program as a result of the government shutdown,” a Pentagon official told Breaking Defense in a statement this week. “Personnel supporting critical test and development activities were identified as excepted and returned from furlough to ensure continuity of operations and avoid any potential delay. The program remains ahead of schedule, and flight testing is proceeding as planned.”

Development of the CCA drones officially began in fiscal year 2024 (FY24). In April 2024, the Air Force announced that it had selected Anduril’s “Fury” and General Atomic Aeronautical Systems Inc.’s (GA-ASI’s) “Gambit” as the program’s two finalists, beating out competing offerings from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. In March 2025, the two programs’ aircraft received the designations YFQ-44A and YFQ-42A, respectively.

Both systems have undergone ground tests, focused on the respective prototypes’ propulsion systems, avionics, autonomy integration, and ground control interfaces.

In August, test flights of the YFQ-42A began at a California test location. The Air Force has been evaluating the unmanned aircraft’s “airworthiness, flight autonomy and mission system integration,” it previously announced.

Shutdown Could Delay YFQ-44A Development

Earlier in October, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey told reporters that the shutdown would “certainly” delay the maiden flight of its YFQ-44A drone. He has since backtracked and clarified his previous statement, explaining that a delay could occur if the shutdown continues.

“Last week I said that the shutdown has already delayed the first flight for our Collaborative Combat Aircraft. What I meant to say is that if the shutdown continues, there could be impacts to our schedule, but we haven’t actually seen that yet,” Luckey said in a statement to Breaking Defense.

For now, it remains unclear when the YFQ-44A will make its maiden flight as planned. The program has progressed with development testing led by the respective vendors, alongside independent evaluations at Edwards Air Force Base (AFB), California, where the flight testing is likely to occur.

The Air Force’s timeline had called for a production contract to be awarded during fiscal year 2026 (FY26), which began on October 1, 2025, and for the CCA to enter service by 2030. It is still unclear if the shutdown will impact that schedule.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.

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