What just happened? The US Air Force has announced the military's latest move toward an autonomous future. This time, an F-22 Raptor pilot directed a drone during simulated combat. The pilot issued high-level tactical directives to the YFQ-44A while flying, essentially turning it into an unpiloted 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 those instructions and carried out the maneuvers and simulated combat tasks.
While it might sound like it, this wasn't a case of someone flying two aircraft at once. The pilot decided what the Fury should do, while the autonomous system handled the flight controls.
The test was part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The initiative's aim is to field low-cost, semi-autonomous uncrewed aerial vehicles that fly alongside crewed fifth- and sixth-generation fighter jets.
The test involved just one Raptor and one Fury, but the longer-term ambition is for a single pilot to direct several autonomous wingmen. Those aircraft could bring extra weapons, sensors, and electronic warfare equipment to a mission.
There are still some unanswered questions about the test. The Air Force and Anduril haven't disclosed the full cockpit setup used during the demonstration – we don't know exactly how the pilot sent instructions to the drone. It also remains to be seen how well pilots can manage several other aircraft while flying their own jet in a frantic combat mission.
Fury is one of two designs selected for the program's first increment, alongside General Atomics' YFQ-42A. The Air Force wants 500 combat-ready semi-autonomous aircraft by 2032, with an eventual fleet of at least 1,000.
The military has been working toward this sort of automation for years. Back in March 2023, the Air Force detailed tests in which AI flew a modified F-16 through tactical drills and simulated combat. In April 2024, DARPA revealed that the X-62A VISTA had faced a human-piloted F-16 in a real-world dogfight exercise. Safety pilots were aboard the AI-controlled aircraft, but they never needed to take over during those engagements.
The next step is testing how these drones fit into larger formations. Fury and General Atomics' Vengeance are scheduled to participate in December's Emerald Flag exercise, their first large-force employment event.
Beyond autonomous drones and planes, the military has recently been experimenting with humanoid robots and AI, moving us ever closer to the Terminator-like future the movies warned us about.
