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1h ago

F-22 Pilot Commands MQ-20 Avenger Drone in First-of-Its-Kind Demo

The company-funded flight used government-owned open interfaces to de-risk F-22 teaming as the Air Force readies a 2026 CCA decision.

The MQ-20 Avenger during a test flight. (Image credit: GA-ASI)
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Overview

  • The Oct. 21 event took place over the Nevada Test and Training Range with General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris participating.
  • The pilot issued commands via a cockpit tablet tied to the F-22’s GRACE module using L3Harris BANSHEE datalinks and Pantera software-defined radios over Lockheed open radio architectures.
  • General Atomics described the trial as self-funded and part of an ongoing series using the MQ-20 as a CCA surrogate with mature mission autonomy software.
  • The demonstration showcased non-proprietary, U.S. government-owned communications meant to support Open Mission Systems and interoperable control.
  • The Air Force has named the F-22 the threshold platform for initial CCA integration, prototypes from General Atomics and Anduril have flown, and a production decision is planned for 2026 with further industry tests ahead.