• Avengers assemble: F-22 Raptor successfully commands autonomous MQ-20 drone in flight The exercise validated real-time data exchange, onboard decision-making, and tactical maneuver coordination in flight. • Air Force has advanced its push toward autonomous air combat teaming with a live flight demonstration pairing a fifth-generation fighter with an unmanned jet. • In a recent test at Edwards Air Force Base in California, a human-piloted F-22 Raptor teamed with General Atomics’ MQ-20 Avenger unmanned aircraft. • The aircraft coordinated through advanced autonomy software and a secure tactical data link, according to a Feb. • The exercise highlighted how the service plans to integrate Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCAs, into frontline fighter operations. • Live teaming at Edwards The demonstration featured a manned F-22 issuing real-time commands to the MQ-20 during flight.
Article Summaries:
- The U.S. Air Force demonstrated a new manned‑unmanned teaming capability when a live‑piloted F‑22 Raptor directed a General Atomics MQ‑20 Avenger drone during a flight at Edwards Air Force Base. Using the Autonodyne Bashi Pilot Vehicle Interface, the F‑22 issued real‑time autonomy commands that the MQ‑20 executed, including waypoint changes, combat air patrol patterns, and simulated threat engagements. The exercise validated secure tactical data links, onboard decision‑making, and continuous command loops, reinforcing the Air Force’s plan to keep human pilots in command while delegating tactical tasks to autonomous aircraft. This test supports the broader autonomy roadmap and the development of Collaborative Combat Aircraft as force multipliers.
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