What just happened? The US Air Force has announced the military’s latest step towards an autonomous future. This time, an F-22 Raptor pilot piloted a drone during a simulated combat. The pilot provided high-level tactical instructions to the YFQ-44A during the flight, essentially turning it into an unmanned wingman.
The demonstration took place earlier this month when the Raptor and Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Once airborne, the pilot sent an updated mission plan over a tactical data link. The drone’s onboard software interpreted these instructions and carried out the maneuvers and simulated combat tasks.
Although it may sound like it, this was not a case of someone flying two planes at the same time. The pilot decided what the Fury should do while the autonomous system took control of the flight.
The test was part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The aim of the initiative is to deploy low-cost, semi-autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles that fly alongside fifth- and sixth-generation manned combat aircraft.
The test only involved a Raptor and a Fury, but the longer-term goal is for a single pilot to control multiple autonomous wingmen. These aircraft could bring additional weapons, sensors and electronic warfare equipment to a mission.
There are still some open questions about the test. The Air Force and Anduril have not disclosed the full cockpit setup used during the demonstration – we don’t know exactly how the pilot delivered instructions to the drone. It also remains to be seen how well pilots can control multiple other aircraft while piloting their own jet in a hectic combat mission.
Fury is one of two designs selected for the first stage of the program, along with General Atomics’ YFQ-42A. The Air Force wants to have 500 combat-ready semi-autonomous aircraft by 2032, with an eventual fleet of at least 1,000.
The military has been working on such automation for years. Back in March 2023, the Air Force conducted detailed tests in which the AI flew a modified F-16 through tactical exercises and simulated combat. In April 2024, DARPA announced that the X-62A VISTA faced a human-piloted F-16 in a real-world air combat exercise. There were safety pilots on board the AI-controlled aircraft, but they never had to take command during these missions.
The next step will be testing how these drones fit into larger formations. Fury and General Atomics’ Vengeance are scheduled to take part in Exercise Emerald Flag in December, their first large force event.
Beyond autonomous drones and aircraft, the military has been experimenting with humanoid robots and AI lately, moving us ever closer to the Terminator-like future the movies warned us about.
