AviationNews – A pilot aboard a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor successfully executed command and control over a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger uncrewed jet during a recent flight test, marking a crucial step in the U.S. Air Force’s plan for integrating autonomous wingmen. This breakthrough demonstration significantly accelerates the development of Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capabilities vital for future air superiority.
The successful test occurred on October 21, 2025, over the Nevada Test and Training Range, involving a collaborative, internally funded effort by General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris Technologies. The demonstration used the MQ-20 as a surrogate for the service’s forthcoming Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, confirming the F-22’s role as the inaugural airborne controller platform. The result is critical as the U.S. races to field affordable, attritable combat mass against peer adversaries.
The pilot controlled the Avenger from the single-seat cockpit using a tablet-based Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI) and the F-22’s GRACE open-architecture module. The system achieved end-to-end communications by integrating L3Harris‘ BANSHEE Advanced Tactical Datalinks and software-defined radios into both the fighter and the drone, showcasing the viability of secure, non-proprietary command systems for autonomous assets.
C. Mark Brinkley, a spokesperson for General Atomics, underscored the urgency of the development: “The MQ-20 Avenger, tricked out with mature mission autonomy software, is a perfect CCA surrogate and allows us to move fast and move first. We already know the F-22 will play a critical role in crewed-uncrewed teaming operations, and General Atomics is in a unique position to get started now.”
This test affirms the Air Force’s shift toward a force multiplier strategy, where smaller, cheaper, and more risk-tolerant uncrewed aircraft support high-value manned fighters in contested environments. The technology paves the way for the full deployment of the CCA fleet by the end of the decade, revolutionizing the calculus of air combat against peer adversaries.
The successful F-22 to MQ-20 command-and-control flight test validates the technological foundation for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. By proving seamless integration and intuitive control from a fifth-generation jet, the defense industry has taken a monumental leap toward a future air force defined by human-machine synergy.
