USAF Tests AI-Powered Wingman Drone
The U.S. Air Force successfully flew an AI-powered MQ-20 Avenger drone as a wingman to a crewed F-22 Raptor. In the test, human pilots directed the unmanned jet in combat scenarios, marking a major milestone for human-machine teaming in aerial warfare.
This specific test was conducted out of Edwards Air Force Base in California by General Atomics and the USAF. The F-22 pilot used a software interface to issue high-level commands via a tactical data link, directing the MQ-20 to perform maneuvers and engage simulated threats, with the drone also using its own sensors to make some independent decisions. The MQ-20 Avenger, built by General Atomics, represents a significant leap from older drones like the MQ-9 Reaper. Unlike its propeller-driven predecessors, the Avenger is powered by a Pratt & Whitney turbofan jet engine, enabling speeds over 460 mph and a ceiling of 50,000 feet. Its design incorporates stealth features, including an internal weapons bay and an S-shaped exhaust to reduce its radar and infrared signatures. This demonstration is a critical step in the U.S. Air Force's broader Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. The ambitious program aims to procure at least 1,000 of these autonomous wingmen to augment a fleet of 200 next-generation fighters and 300 F-35s, with the first units entering service by 2030. The core strategy behind the CCA program is to generate "affordable mass." By teaming expensive, crewed sixth-generation fighters with relatively lower-cost, uncrewed aircraft, the USAF can increase squadron size and operational capability, allowing the autonomous drones to perform high-risk missions like scouting, electronic warfare, or acting as decoys. For the first increment of the CCA program, the Air Force awarded contracts to General Atomics for its YFQ-42A "Dark Merlin" and Anduril Industries for its YFQ-44A "Fury." A key technical aspect is the use of an Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA), a software standard designed to prevent vendor lock and allow AI algorithms from various developers to be rapidly integrated onto any compliant drone. Following successful teaming exercises, the CCA program is advancing to the next phase: weapons integration. Anduril's YFQ-44A has already begun captive-carry flight tests with inert AIM-120 missiles to validate the airframe's structural and aerodynamic performance when armed. The Air Force is on track to make a final
