According to General Atomics, the test flight was enabled via Lockheed’s open radio architectures.

While the concept of crewed-uncrewed teaming between next-generation fighter jets and highly specialized “wingmen” drones is largely associated with the US military’s futuristic Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and F/A-XX programs, it is actually already being achieved by existing aircraft. Impressively, an MQ-20 Avenger unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flew a mock mission controlled by an F-22 Raptor pilot for the first time late last month. In a statement, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems said the demonstration took place in October at the Nevada Test and Training Range and will be followed by further tests planned for internal research and development.

“The [crewed-uncrewed teaming demonstration] effort integrated L3Harris’ BANSHEE Advanced Tactical Datalinks with its Pantera software-defined radios (SDRs) via Lockheed Martin’s open radio architectures, all integrated and shared from an F-22 Raptor,” according to the General Atomics press release. “Two L3Harris Software‑Defined Radios (SDRs) supported the demonstration. The first SDR was installed into the General Atomics MQ‑20 Avenger, and the second was integrated in the Lockheed Martin F‑22 Raptor.” Uncrewed-crewed pairing between advanced fighter platforms and highly autonomous drones is expected to represent the crux of future jet operations.

Specs and Capabilities of the F-22 Raptor

• Year Introduced: 2005
• Number Built: 187
• Length: 62 ft 1 in (18.9m)
• Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (13.56m)
• Weight: ~83,500 lbs. (38,000 kgs)
• Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 afterburning turbofans with thrust vectoring (~35,000 lbf each)
• Top Speed: ~1,500 mph (2,414 km/h)
• Range: 1,864 miles
• Service Ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
• Loadout: One 20mm M61A2 Vulcan cannon; internal weapons bays; four external hardpoints; approx. 20,000 lb. (9,000 kg) total payload capacity
• Aircrew: 1

The unprecedented Raptor/Avenger pairing was made possible by Lockheed Martin’s infamous Skunk Works division. According to General Atomics, the test flight was enabled via Lockheed’s open radio architectures, which integrated L3Harris-supplied software-defined radios and datalinks. As part of the pairing, one radio was integrated on the Avenger and Raptor. The F-22 pilot was able to successfully direct the UAV by using a tablet provided for the test flight. Skunk Works vice president and general manager OJ Sanchez said the effort “represents Skunk Works bringing its diverse and unique expertise to the table to lead the way demonstrating the future of air combat, where single-seat aircraft command and control drones with simple and intuitive interfaces in the cockpit.”

Both the Air Force and Navy’s respective NGAD and F/A-XX programs will likely incorporate lessons learned from the ongoing Raptor/Avenger collaborative test flights. This impressive display of collaboration certainly paves the way for the Air Force and Navy’s next-generation projects, which both incorporate Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs). 

Since drones are easier and far cheaper to produce than advanced fighter jets, it is a no-brainer to build these CCAs in swarms for the service’s futuristic fighter proposals. The Air Force previously stated its plans to procure at least 1,000 of these highly specialized “loyal wingmen” UAVs as part of its NGAD endeavor. These drones will aid both services in establishing air superiority and will minimize any capability gaps caused by a reduced fighter jet force. Considering Beijing’s own aerial build up, maintaining a larger air fleet is essential for national security purposes.

About the Author: Maya Carlin

Maya Carlin, national security writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues. Carlin has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.

Image: DVIDS.

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