F-22 Stealth Fighter Controls MQ-20 Avenger Drone in Landmark U.S. Collaborative Combat Test
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A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot directly controlled an MQ-20 Avenger combat drone from the cockpit during an October 21 flight over the Nevada Test and Training Range, a test General Atomics revealed on November 17.
On 17 November 2025, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced that a U.S. Air Force F‑22 Raptor pilot had directly commanded an MQ‑20 Avenger unmanned combat air vehicle from the cockpit during a flight conducted on 21 October at the Nevada Test and Training Range, marking a significant milestone in crewed‑uncrewed air combat integration. The event marks a concrete step from concept to reality in the U.S. vision for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, where crewed fighters lead formations of autonomous “loyal wingman” drones. By pairing a frontline fifth-generation stealth aircraft with a jet-powered unmanned system through an open, modular command-and-control architecture, the test signals how future air operations could be conducted in highly contested environments.
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A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot directly controlled an MQ-20 Avenger combat drone from the cockpit, proving real-world crewed and uncrewed teaming in flight (Picture Source: General Atomics / U.S. Air Force)
The flight brought together three U.S. defense majors, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris, around a common objective: proving that a front‑line F‑22 can serve as a command node for an autonomous combat drone. General Atomics provided the MQ‑20 Avenger, Lockheed Martin contributed the F‑22 and its open radio architecture, and L3Harris supplied the BANSHEE Advanced Tactical Datalinks linked to Pantera software‑defined radios installed in both aircraft. According to GA‑ASI, two Pantera SDRs, one in the Avenger and one in the Raptor, were networked through Lockheed Martin’s GRACE module and a Pilot Vehicle Interface tablet in the cockpit, giving the pilot end‑to‑end connectivity to task, retask, and monitor the MQ‑20 in real time. This configuration went beyond basic command relay, enabling the fighter to act as a mission controller while the Avenger executed complex behaviors through its onboard autonomy software. The hardware and waveforms were deliberately designed to be reconfigurable and government‑owned, ensuring reuse across platforms and alignment with Open Mission Systems standards.
The choice of platforms reflects a blend of operational relevance and experimental flexibility. The F-22 remains the U.S. Air Force’s reference air-superiority fighter, combining low observability, supercruise, advanced sensor fusion and high maneuverability. Using it as the lead aircraft establishes that crewed-uncrewed teaming is intended for real front-line assets, not just testbeds. The MQ-20 Avenger, derived from the long-running Predator family, is a jet-powered unmanned aircraft with a reduced signature, internal weapons bay and long endurance, already used in multiple campaigns as a flying laboratory for autonomy and payload integration. It has previously hosted third-party mission autonomy software and has evolved into a versatile surrogate for future Collaborative Combat Aircraft while dedicated CCA airframes such as emerging YFQ-series prototypes are still ramping up their flight test programs. The combination of a mature stealth fighter and a well-understood unmanned test article allows engineers and operators to focus on tactics, human-machine interfaces and datalink behavior rather than basic airworthiness.
This latest trial also needs to be viewed in the context of broader experiments and competing concepts. Previous U.S. tests have already shown that fourth-generation fighters like the F-16 can control loyal-wingman-type drones such as the XQ-58 Valkyrie in representative mission scenarios, proving that a single crewed aircraft can expand its reach with unmanned partners. The F-22–MQ-20 pairing pushes the envelope by operating in the domain of high-end stealth, near-peer air threats and dense air defense networks. Internationally, comparable architectures are being developed in other air forces, from sixth-generation fighter concepts that integrate national combat drones via encrypted datalinks, to European “remote carrier” projects intended to operate under the control of manned fighters. In that competitive landscape, the Nevada demonstration underscores that the United States is now translating its doctrinal work on manned-unmanned teaming into live, repeatable tests with operational aircraft.
The strategic implications of this evolution are substantial. At the operational level, crewed-uncrewed teaming offers a way to regenerate mass in the air domain without fielding large fleets of additional manned fighters. Autonomous or semi-autonomous drones acting as loyal wingmen can scout ahead, extend sensor coverage, act as decoys, carry additional air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons, perform electronic attack or undertake high-risk suppression of enemy air defenses. The human pilot remains responsible for mission intent and rules of engagement while delegating execution details to machines designed to be attritable if necessary. In potential high-end theaters such as the Indo-Pacific or Eastern Europe, where long distances and dense anti-access/area-denial systems complicate traditional air campaigns, the ability to distribute functions across a mix of crewed and uncrewed platforms is likely to become a key determinant of airpower credibility and deterrence.
Geopolitically, this progress must be read against the backdrop of intensifying great-power competition. Wingman drones and manned-unmanned teaming have featured prominently in U.S. wargaming for a possible Pacific conflict, where long ranges and dense anti-access/area denial networks favor distributed, attritable air assets over small fleets of very expensive fighters and bombers. Allies are following similar paths: Türkiye is building its own sovereign ecosystem of stealth fighters and UCAVs; European partners are developing FCAS and GCAP; and U.S. industry offers collaborative drones to allied air forces seeking to modernize without absorbing the full cost of fifth-generation fleets. The Nevada test therefore, does more than validate a technical architecture; it reinforces the message that the United States intends to remain at the forefront of human-machine teaming, even as competitors field their own loyal-wingman concepts.
Industrial and budgetary dynamics are closely intertwined with these technical and strategic shifts. The MQ-20 Avenger has been sustained for years largely as an internally funded test asset, allowing its manufacturer to explore uncrewed jet operations, advanced autonomy and complex networking ahead of formal procurement decisions. In parallel, the U.S. Air Force has launched a multi-vendor effort to field Collaborative Combat Aircraft, with at least two major competitors now flying production-representative prototypes and a downselect expected around 2026. Significant research, development, test and evaluation funding is already dedicated to this portfolio, and the U.S. Navy has initiated its own concept studies for a carrier-capable CCA intended to integrate into future carrier air wings. Against that backdrop, the F-22–MQ-20 flight can be read as risk reduction in support of multiple emerging programs: it validates architectures, interfaces and operational concepts that can later migrate onto purpose-built CCA designs without having to re-learn the basics of human-machine teaming in combat aviation.
This demonstration over Nevada crystallizes a transition that has been discussed for years but rarely implemented with such operationally relevant assets. By placing a fifth-generation fighter in direct command of a jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft through open, reconfigurable systems, the U.S. Air Force is moving from theoretical concepts of “loyal wingmen” to tangible experimentation that will shape future force structure, doctrine and investment choices. As other powers field their own combinations of stealth fighters and combat drones, the ability to scale and harden these crewed-uncrewed architectures will increasingly influence the balance of airpower in any major crisis or conflict where control of the air remains decisive.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot directly controlled an MQ-20 Avenger combat drone from the cockpit during an October 21 flight over the Nevada Test and Training Range, a test General Atomics revealed on November 17.
On 17 November 2025, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced that a U.S. Air Force F‑22 Raptor pilot had directly commanded an MQ‑20 Avenger unmanned combat air vehicle from the cockpit during a flight conducted on 21 October at the Nevada Test and Training Range, marking a significant milestone in crewed‑uncrewed air combat integration. The event marks a concrete step from concept to reality in the U.S. vision for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, where crewed fighters lead formations of autonomous “loyal wingman” drones. By pairing a frontline fifth-generation stealth aircraft with a jet-powered unmanned system through an open, modular command-and-control architecture, the test signals how future air operations could be conducted in highly contested environments.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot directly controlled an MQ-20 Avenger combat drone from the cockpit, proving real-world crewed and uncrewed teaming in flight (Picture Source: General Atomics / U.S. Air Force)
The flight brought together three U.S. defense majors, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris, around a common objective: proving that a front‑line F‑22 can serve as a command node for an autonomous combat drone. General Atomics provided the MQ‑20 Avenger, Lockheed Martin contributed the F‑22 and its open radio architecture, and L3Harris supplied the BANSHEE Advanced Tactical Datalinks linked to Pantera software‑defined radios installed in both aircraft. According to GA‑ASI, two Pantera SDRs, one in the Avenger and one in the Raptor, were networked through Lockheed Martin’s GRACE module and a Pilot Vehicle Interface tablet in the cockpit, giving the pilot end‑to‑end connectivity to task, retask, and monitor the MQ‑20 in real time. This configuration went beyond basic command relay, enabling the fighter to act as a mission controller while the Avenger executed complex behaviors through its onboard autonomy software. The hardware and waveforms were deliberately designed to be reconfigurable and government‑owned, ensuring reuse across platforms and alignment with Open Mission Systems standards.
The choice of platforms reflects a blend of operational relevance and experimental flexibility. The F-22 remains the U.S. Air Force’s reference air-superiority fighter, combining low observability, supercruise, advanced sensor fusion and high maneuverability. Using it as the lead aircraft establishes that crewed-uncrewed teaming is intended for real front-line assets, not just testbeds. The MQ-20 Avenger, derived from the long-running Predator family, is a jet-powered unmanned aircraft with a reduced signature, internal weapons bay and long endurance, already used in multiple campaigns as a flying laboratory for autonomy and payload integration. It has previously hosted third-party mission autonomy software and has evolved into a versatile surrogate for future Collaborative Combat Aircraft while dedicated CCA airframes such as emerging YFQ-series prototypes are still ramping up their flight test programs. The combination of a mature stealth fighter and a well-understood unmanned test article allows engineers and operators to focus on tactics, human-machine interfaces and datalink behavior rather than basic airworthiness.
This latest trial also needs to be viewed in the context of broader experiments and competing concepts. Previous U.S. tests have already shown that fourth-generation fighters like the F-16 can control loyal-wingman-type drones such as the XQ-58 Valkyrie in representative mission scenarios, proving that a single crewed aircraft can expand its reach with unmanned partners. The F-22–MQ-20 pairing pushes the envelope by operating in the domain of high-end stealth, near-peer air threats and dense air defense networks. Internationally, comparable architectures are being developed in other air forces, from sixth-generation fighter concepts that integrate national combat drones via encrypted datalinks, to European “remote carrier” projects intended to operate under the control of manned fighters. In that competitive landscape, the Nevada demonstration underscores that the United States is now translating its doctrinal work on manned-unmanned teaming into live, repeatable tests with operational aircraft.
The strategic implications of this evolution are substantial. At the operational level, crewed-uncrewed teaming offers a way to regenerate mass in the air domain without fielding large fleets of additional manned fighters. Autonomous or semi-autonomous drones acting as loyal wingmen can scout ahead, extend sensor coverage, act as decoys, carry additional air-to-air or air-to-ground weapons, perform electronic attack or undertake high-risk suppression of enemy air defenses. The human pilot remains responsible for mission intent and rules of engagement while delegating execution details to machines designed to be attritable if necessary. In potential high-end theaters such as the Indo-Pacific or Eastern Europe, where long distances and dense anti-access/area-denial systems complicate traditional air campaigns, the ability to distribute functions across a mix of crewed and uncrewed platforms is likely to become a key determinant of airpower credibility and deterrence.
Geopolitically, this progress must be read against the backdrop of intensifying great-power competition. Wingman drones and manned-unmanned teaming have featured prominently in U.S. wargaming for a possible Pacific conflict, where long ranges and dense anti-access/area denial networks favor distributed, attritable air assets over small fleets of very expensive fighters and bombers. Allies are following similar paths: Türkiye is building its own sovereign ecosystem of stealth fighters and UCAVs; European partners are developing FCAS and GCAP; and U.S. industry offers collaborative drones to allied air forces seeking to modernize without absorbing the full cost of fifth-generation fleets. The Nevada test therefore, does more than validate a technical architecture; it reinforces the message that the United States intends to remain at the forefront of human-machine teaming, even as competitors field their own loyal-wingman concepts.
Industrial and budgetary dynamics are closely intertwined with these technical and strategic shifts. The MQ-20 Avenger has been sustained for years largely as an internally funded test asset, allowing its manufacturer to explore uncrewed jet operations, advanced autonomy and complex networking ahead of formal procurement decisions. In parallel, the U.S. Air Force has launched a multi-vendor effort to field Collaborative Combat Aircraft, with at least two major competitors now flying production-representative prototypes and a downselect expected around 2026. Significant research, development, test and evaluation funding is already dedicated to this portfolio, and the U.S. Navy has initiated its own concept studies for a carrier-capable CCA intended to integrate into future carrier air wings. Against that backdrop, the F-22–MQ-20 flight can be read as risk reduction in support of multiple emerging programs: it validates architectures, interfaces and operational concepts that can later migrate onto purpose-built CCA designs without having to re-learn the basics of human-machine teaming in combat aviation.
This demonstration over Nevada crystallizes a transition that has been discussed for years but rarely implemented with such operationally relevant assets. By placing a fifth-generation fighter in direct command of a jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft through open, reconfigurable systems, the U.S. Air Force is moving from theoretical concepts of “loyal wingmen” to tangible experimentation that will shape future force structure, doctrine and investment choices. As other powers field their own combinations of stealth fighters and combat drones, the ability to scale and harden these crewed-uncrewed architectures will increasingly influence the balance of airpower in any major crisis or conflict where control of the air remains decisive.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
