US Air Force selects F-22 Raptor as first fighter jet to command autonomous drones in combat operations
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On June 27, 2025, the US Air Force approved a new modification program to enable its fifth-generation F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to control Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), commonly known as drone wingmen. As outlined in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget justification, this new initiative, named the Crewed Platform Integration (CPI) program, allocates $15.048 million for a first phase procurement, installation, training, and support effort. This effort includes acquiring and installing cockpit kits comprised of tablets, communication cables, and associated system integration materials. The program is classified under ID Code B, denoting it as not yet service-ready.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
This kit is expected to increase the combat flexibility and reach of the F-22 Raptor in contested environments by allowing it to deploy and command aerial drones for tasks such as electronic warfare, reconnaissance, or strike missions. (Picture source: US Air Force)
A total of 142 kits will be procured and installed to retrofit a total of 142 operational F-22s with hardware and software necessary to allow pilots to direct Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) in real time. Marking the first tangible step toward enabling direct manned-unmanned teaming within the USAF’s existing tactical fighter fleet, the estimated cost for the kits is $12.243 million, with the remaining funds allocated to program support, installation, and training. Specific support items include $0.173 million for Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS), $0.240 million for simulation and training equipment (SIM/TRAINER), $0.037 million for data handling, and $1.881 million in Program Management and Other Government Costs (PMA). A total of 56 installations are planned within FY2026 at a cost of approximately $474,000. The method of implementation is a Contract Field Team, and delivery of the hardware is scheduled for June 2026, following an October 2025 contract award. Administrative lead time is zero months, and production lead time is listed as nine months. Manufacturer details remain to be determined. The program includes no acquisition of new aircraft or weapons and no initial spares.
The Crewed Platform Integration (CPI) kits will allow F-22 pilots to interact with CCAs via secure, tablet-based interfaces installed within the cockpit. The tablets and their associated cabling, expected to cost about $86,218 per unit, are designed to enable real-time data exchange and control commands between the F-22 and autonomous air vehicles. While the exact communications protocol is not disclosed in the budget documentation, prior experimentation involving the XQ-58A Valkyrie, the F-35, and the F-22 suggests that the Inter-Flight Data Link (IFDL), a jam-resistant and encrypted system currently used by Raptors for secure peer-to-peer communication, is a likely candidate. These systems will facilitate direct input from the pilot to CCA assets during flight operations and are expected to support future use of CCAs as sensors, decoys, jammers, or weapons carriers. The budget justification notes that the integration activities also include test and checkout, certification, software updates, system engineering, training, support equipment, and full Program Support Costs.
The CPI program corresponds with ongoing CCA development under the USAF’s broader force design for Tactical Air Dominance. In parallel, the Air Force is pursuing a family of CCA systems with initial FY2026 funding of $870 million for the Increment 1 phase. This phase includes the General Atomics YFQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A prototypes. The service plans to procure an initial batch of 100 to 150 CCAs, with long-term goals exceeding 1,000 units. These drones are being designed for modular missions, such as offensive counterair, suppression of enemy air defenses, and increased sensor coverage. Insights from the Mitchell Institute’s 2023 wargame suggest that CCA control capabilities embedded within existing platforms such as the F-22 will enable them to function as coordination hubs for low-cost or attritable unmanned systems in future conflicts, including high-threat environments like a Taiwan Strait contingency.
Integrating the CPI kits into the F-22 fleet will expand the platform’s operational utility beyond its original design as a fifth-generation air superiority fighter. The addition of tablet-based CCA control systems will allow the aircraft to act not only as a shooter but as a central node for distributed operations involving semi-autonomous assets. This capability is expected to increase the combat flexibility and reach of the F-22 in contested environments by enabling it to deploy and command airborne CCAs for tasks such as electronic warfare, reconnaissance, or kinetic strike missions. The F-22’s survivability, speed, and stealth make it a suitable platform for coordinating forward operations of CCA units, particularly in scenarios requiring real-time adaptive tactics. This integration is aligned with the Air Force’s Operational Imperative #4, which focuses on Tactical Air Dominance and emphasizes manned-unmanned teaming.
The CPI program is also structured to support broader logistical and operational concepts proposed in studies such as the 2024 Mitchell Institute report, The Need for Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Disruptive Air Warfare. That study outlines the operational advantages of deploying CCAs in dispersed and resilient configurations. Scenarios examined during wargames suggested pre-positioning ground-launched expendable CCA units in locations such as the Ryukyu Islands or the Philippines to reduce dependence on large fixed bases. More survivable, recoverable CCAs could then be deployed in conjunction with aircraft like the F-22 and B-52, further multiplying combat effects while mitigating aircraft and pilot attrition risks. CCA variants explored during wargames include those carrying payloads such as AIM-120 air-to-air missiles or Small Diameter Bombs and variants designed for jamming or deception roles, operated either independently or under human supervision from a crewed aircraft.
The concept of “loyal wingmen” involves pairing crewed aircraft with uncrewed platforms to augment mission effectiveness in environments with high operational risk. These CCAs can act as decoys, jammers, or weapons carriers while being directed by a pilot in a crewed aircraft. In Mitchell Institute-led wargames, planners proposed that such CCAs could be pre-positioned in dispersed forward locations and used to disrupt adversary air defenses before crewed aircraft enter contested airspace. Operating as either expendable or attritable assets, these drones are designed to impose costs on adversaries, expand the mass of deployed sensors and weapons, and increase force resilience in degraded or high-threat scenarios. The use of loyal wingmen is viewed as a force-multiplying approach for enhancing survivability and expanding the tactical envelope without increasing the number of crewed aircraft, such as the F-22 Raptor, or exposing pilots to the same level of threat.
The F-22 Raptor, developed through the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program and fielded from 2005, was designed primarily for air superiority missions but also supports ground attack, electronic warfare, and intelligence gathering. Although production was limited to 195 aircraft, with 187 operational units, the platform has continued to serve as the USAF’s most advanced air dominance fighter. Due to its limited fleet size and demanding maintenance requirements, the service has sought ways to maximize its utility in evolving strategic environments. The CPI program addresses this need by enabling the F-22 to interface with newer unmanned technologies, maintaining the aircraft’s relevance as part of an integrated future force architecture. This modification effort builds upon previous experiments, including manned-unmanned teaming trials with the XQ-58A Valkyrie, and signals a shift toward embedding fifth-generation fighters into emerging operational concepts reliant on autonomous systems and distributed command structures.
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On June 27, 2025, the US Air Force approved a new modification program to enable its fifth-generation F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to control Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), commonly known as drone wingmen. As outlined in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget justification, this new initiative, named the Crewed Platform Integration (CPI) program, allocates $15.048 million for a first phase procurement, installation, training, and support effort. This effort includes acquiring and installing cockpit kits comprised of tablets, communication cables, and associated system integration materials. The program is classified under ID Code B, denoting it as not yet service-ready.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
This kit is expected to increase the combat flexibility and reach of the F-22 Raptor in contested environments by allowing it to deploy and command aerial drones for tasks such as electronic warfare, reconnaissance, or strike missions. (Picture source: US Air Force)
A total of 142 kits will be procured and installed to retrofit a total of 142 operational F-22s with hardware and software necessary to allow pilots to direct Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) in real time. Marking the first tangible step toward enabling direct manned-unmanned teaming within the USAF’s existing tactical fighter fleet, the estimated cost for the kits is $12.243 million, with the remaining funds allocated to program support, installation, and training. Specific support items include $0.173 million for Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS), $0.240 million for simulation and training equipment (SIM/TRAINER), $0.037 million for data handling, and $1.881 million in Program Management and Other Government Costs (PMA). A total of 56 installations are planned within FY2026 at a cost of approximately $474,000. The method of implementation is a Contract Field Team, and delivery of the hardware is scheduled for June 2026, following an October 2025 contract award. Administrative lead time is zero months, and production lead time is listed as nine months. Manufacturer details remain to be determined. The program includes no acquisition of new aircraft or weapons and no initial spares.
The Crewed Platform Integration (CPI) kits will allow F-22 pilots to interact with CCAs via secure, tablet-based interfaces installed within the cockpit. The tablets and their associated cabling, expected to cost about $86,218 per unit, are designed to enable real-time data exchange and control commands between the F-22 and autonomous air vehicles. While the exact communications protocol is not disclosed in the budget documentation, prior experimentation involving the XQ-58A Valkyrie, the F-35, and the F-22 suggests that the Inter-Flight Data Link (IFDL), a jam-resistant and encrypted system currently used by Raptors for secure peer-to-peer communication, is a likely candidate. These systems will facilitate direct input from the pilot to CCA assets during flight operations and are expected to support future use of CCAs as sensors, decoys, jammers, or weapons carriers. The budget justification notes that the integration activities also include test and checkout, certification, software updates, system engineering, training, support equipment, and full Program Support Costs.
The CPI program corresponds with ongoing CCA development under the USAF’s broader force design for Tactical Air Dominance. In parallel, the Air Force is pursuing a family of CCA systems with initial FY2026 funding of $870 million for the Increment 1 phase. This phase includes the General Atomics YFQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A prototypes. The service plans to procure an initial batch of 100 to 150 CCAs, with long-term goals exceeding 1,000 units. These drones are being designed for modular missions, such as offensive counterair, suppression of enemy air defenses, and increased sensor coverage. Insights from the Mitchell Institute’s 2023 wargame suggest that CCA control capabilities embedded within existing platforms such as the F-22 will enable them to function as coordination hubs for low-cost or attritable unmanned systems in future conflicts, including high-threat environments like a Taiwan Strait contingency.
Integrating the CPI kits into the F-22 fleet will expand the platform’s operational utility beyond its original design as a fifth-generation air superiority fighter. The addition of tablet-based CCA control systems will allow the aircraft to act not only as a shooter but as a central node for distributed operations involving semi-autonomous assets. This capability is expected to increase the combat flexibility and reach of the F-22 in contested environments by enabling it to deploy and command airborne CCAs for tasks such as electronic warfare, reconnaissance, or kinetic strike missions. The F-22’s survivability, speed, and stealth make it a suitable platform for coordinating forward operations of CCA units, particularly in scenarios requiring real-time adaptive tactics. This integration is aligned with the Air Force’s Operational Imperative #4, which focuses on Tactical Air Dominance and emphasizes manned-unmanned teaming.
The CPI program is also structured to support broader logistical and operational concepts proposed in studies such as the 2024 Mitchell Institute report, The Need for Collaborative Combat Aircraft for Disruptive Air Warfare. That study outlines the operational advantages of deploying CCAs in dispersed and resilient configurations. Scenarios examined during wargames suggested pre-positioning ground-launched expendable CCA units in locations such as the Ryukyu Islands or the Philippines to reduce dependence on large fixed bases. More survivable, recoverable CCAs could then be deployed in conjunction with aircraft like the F-22 and B-52, further multiplying combat effects while mitigating aircraft and pilot attrition risks. CCA variants explored during wargames include those carrying payloads such as AIM-120 air-to-air missiles or Small Diameter Bombs and variants designed for jamming or deception roles, operated either independently or under human supervision from a crewed aircraft.
The concept of “loyal wingmen” involves pairing crewed aircraft with uncrewed platforms to augment mission effectiveness in environments with high operational risk. These CCAs can act as decoys, jammers, or weapons carriers while being directed by a pilot in a crewed aircraft. In Mitchell Institute-led wargames, planners proposed that such CCAs could be pre-positioned in dispersed forward locations and used to disrupt adversary air defenses before crewed aircraft enter contested airspace. Operating as either expendable or attritable assets, these drones are designed to impose costs on adversaries, expand the mass of deployed sensors and weapons, and increase force resilience in degraded or high-threat scenarios. The use of loyal wingmen is viewed as a force-multiplying approach for enhancing survivability and expanding the tactical envelope without increasing the number of crewed aircraft, such as the F-22 Raptor, or exposing pilots to the same level of threat.
The F-22 Raptor, developed through the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program and fielded from 2005, was designed primarily for air superiority missions but also supports ground attack, electronic warfare, and intelligence gathering. Although production was limited to 195 aircraft, with 187 operational units, the platform has continued to serve as the USAF’s most advanced air dominance fighter. Due to its limited fleet size and demanding maintenance requirements, the service has sought ways to maximize its utility in evolving strategic environments. The CPI program addresses this need by enabling the F-22 to interface with newer unmanned technologies, maintaining the aircraft’s relevance as part of an integrated future force architecture. This modification effort builds upon previous experiments, including manned-unmanned teaming trials with the XQ-58A Valkyrie, and signals a shift toward embedding fifth-generation fighters into emerging operational concepts reliant on autonomous systems and distributed command structures.
