An F-22 Raptor pilot has given tactical directions in flight to a YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), one of the semi-autonomous drones the US Air Force wants to fly alongside its fighters, the service says. The drone’s own software decided how to carry out the instructions, flying manoeuvres and simulated combat tasks.
What the Air Force says happened
In a release on 16 October, the Department of the Air Force said it “executed airborne tactical command and in-flight control of a YFQ-44A Collaborative Combat Aircraft from an F-22 Raptor earlier this month”. It did not give the exact date or location.
During the demonstration, “an F-22 pilot served as an airborne ‘quarterback,’ issuing high-level tactical directives to a single YFQ-44A,” the Air Force said. “The aircraft’s onboard autonomy software interpreted and executed those directives in real time, conducting dynamic flight maneuvers and simulated combat tasks.” The pilot told the drone what to do rather than flying it remotely. The combat tasks were simulated, not live.
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the test “demonstrates what is possible when we are aligned with industry on a shared imperative: delivering capability to the warfighter at unprecedented speed”. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach said: “This flight shows the power of crewed-uncrewed teaming and the advantage it provides our warfighters. We must test often, learn fast and give commanders what they need, when they need it.”
The test involved the 412th Test Wing, the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, the 309th Software Engineering Group, the Experimental Operations Unit, the F-22 System Program Office and the CCA Software Autonomy and Teaming Branch. The Air Force says it will use the data to inform further software integration, developmental testing and its future CCA concepts.
From surrogate to the real aircraft
According to Air Data News, the demonstration took place at Edwards Air Force Base in California and was the first time an F-22 pilot had directed a YFQ-44A in flight. The Air Force’s release does not itself describe it as a first.
Air Data News says the Air Force had previously tested similar control technology using a stand-in aircraft. In October 2025, an F-22 directed a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger acting as a CCA surrogate at the Nevada Test and Training Range. The new test moved the concept to an aircraft built for the CCA programme.
The YFQ-44A is Anduril’s Fury, one of two designs chosen for the first increment of the programme alongside General Atomics’ YFQ-42A, Air Data News reports. It adds that the F-22 is the Air Force’s initial, or “threshold”, platform for CCA integration, and that the work is also meant to inform how the drones will work with the future Boeing F-47 fighter.
Why it matters
The idea behind CCAs is that cheaper, uncrewed aircraft can extend what a single crewed fighter can see and do, taking on tasks or risks that would otherwise fall to pilots. That only works if a pilot, already busy flying a fighter, can direct the drones with simple, high-level commands, leaving the autonomy to handle the details. This demonstration tested that division of labour with a real CCA, not a surrogate.
The Air Force has set ambitious targets. It says it “intends to have 500 combat-ready, semi-autonomous systems by 2032, with an overall fleet size of 1000”.
What we don’t know
- The exact date of the flight and, from the Air Force itself, where it took place.
- What the simulated combat tasks involved, and how the drone performed against test objectives.
- When testing will move from a single drone to several, or to live weapons.
What this means
- The Air Force says an F-22 pilot directed a YFQ-44A CCA in flight this month, with the drone’s autonomy carrying out the instructions and flying simulated combat tasks.
- Air Data News reports it was the first such test with an actual CCA rather than a surrogate, at Edwards Air Force Base.
- The Air Force wants 500 combat-ready semi-autonomous systems by 2032, out of a planned fleet of 1,000.
Sources
- US Air Force: F-22 directs Collaborative Combat Aircraft in airborne tactical control demonstration
- Air Data News: F-22 pilot commands YFQ-44A autonomous combat drone in flight for first time
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