F-22 pilot controls Anduril Fury drone in Air Force combat test
The test advances the Air Force’s plan for fighter pilots to direct drone wingmen while staying focused on the main fight.
The U.S. Air Force says it has completed an airborne test in which an F-22 Raptor pilot controlled an Anduril YFQ-44A Fury drone during simulated combat, a milestone for the service’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft effort. The test matters because the concept depends on a fighter pilot being able to hand off tactical tasks to an autonomous wingman while focusing on flying and combat decisions in the crewed jet. The Air Force still has to prove the drone’s autonomy limits, weapons authorization, resilience under electronic interference, and behavior when communications are disrupted. It also needs to work through maintenance, weapons handling, deployment procedures, and forward base support before the system can be fielded operationally.
Why it matters
For pilots, the point is not just that the drone flew, but that a crewed fighter can begin handing off tactical work to it in combat conditions. That shifts how the Air Force may split attention in future air battles, while key questions still remain about autonomy, safe control, weapons use, and how the system holds up if communications or electronic conditions are disrupted.
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Sources
- Tom's Hardware