General Atomics revealed that an F-22 pilot successfully controlled an MQ-20 Avenger drone from the fighter’s cockpit during an October 17 test at the Nevada Test and Training Range—an early demonstration of the Air Force’s planned Collaborative Combat Aircraft concept. Using L3Harris radios, a BANSHEE data link, and a tablet running open-architecture software, the pilot directed the drone while it operated on autonomous mission software, reports Greg Hadley of the Air and Space Forces Magazine. The self-funded test, conducted with Lockheed Martin and L3Harris, aims to accelerate manned-unmanned teaming ahead of the Air Force’s 2026 CCA production decision as General Atomics competes with Anduril to supply the program’s first “loyal wingman” drones. Hadley writes:

An F-22 pilot controlled an MQ-20 drone from the fighter’s cockpit last month, General Atomics announced Nov. 17—a preview of the Air Force’s vision for Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

General Atomics partnered with F-22 maker Lockheed Martin and L3Harris, which provided radios and data links, for the self-funded demonstration, which took place Oct. 17 at the Nevada Test and Training Range. […]

General Atomics is competing with Anduril Industries for the first increment of the Air Force’s CCA program, which will produce semi-autonomous drones that fly alongside manned fighters as “loyal wingmen” under the fighter pilots’ command and control. […]

In its “Long Term Fighter Force Structure” report to Congress earlier this year, the Air Force noted that the “F-22 remains the threshold platform for CCA,” meaning it is the primary fighter with which the service is looking to pair CCA drones. […]

General Atomics has used the MQ-20 as a testbed before, partnering with Shield AI to use that firm’s “Hivemind” mission autonomy software to fly the drone. […]

“There are companies all over the world making big promises while they figure all of this out for the first time: how to build an airplane, how to incorporate autonomy, how to team that with manned aircraft,” the General Atomics spokesperson said. “We’ve been putting our own money into uncrewed jets for 17 years. This is just one more milestone in a long history of leaning forward.”

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