Also: Horizon Picks P&W PT6A, Army Buys 3 EagleNXT, First Hybrid-Electric Regional, Army Selects AEVEX Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft was flown for the first time on October 31, 2025, as announced by the U.S. Air Force, who also confirmed that a decision about production of the CAA is still expected during FY2026 despite the ongoing government shutdown. The Air Force sent out a press release announcing the first flight but there were not many details about what the YFQ-44A actually did, how long it flew, or where it ended. Merlin, developer of autonomous flight technology for the defense sector, announced it has gained the Stage of Involvement 2 with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, an important step in the DO-178 certification audit cycle that enables regulators to have progressive visibility into the company’s software development program. The FAA finally has a decent excuse to put its drone agenda on hold… and, of course, it comes at a crucial time for the industry’s future. With major updates in the works, including the long-awaited Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rulemaking, the agency is being forced to focus all its efforts on core safety work as the government shutdown drags on. About 11,000 of the FAA’s 45,000 employees are currently off duty, leaving a smaller group focused on essential operations such as air traffic control and safety oversight. All this — and MORE in today’s episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!
