The F-22 Raptor Controls an Autonomous Wingman in Flight for the First Time
In early October 2026, an F-22A Raptor pilot commanded an autonomous YFQ-44A Fury in flight - the first airborne control of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
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The YFQ-48A Talon Blue First Flight and the Rise of the Autonomous Combat Wingman
Northrop Grumman's YFQ-48A Talon Blue completed its first fully autonomous flight at Mojave, marking a milestone in the Air Force's unmanned combat wingman program.
TowerThe Talon Blue, Northrop Grumman's Internally-Funded Autonomous Fighter, and the First Flight That Puts an Unmanned Wingman in the Air
Northrop Grumman's Talon Blue completed a fully autonomous first flight on October 3, 2026, marking a major milestone in the Air Force's unmanned wingman program.
TowerThe FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury, the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Names Troy Meink Announced, and What Autonomous Wingmen Mean for the Pilots Who Will Fly Alongside Them
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink officially named the FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury, marking a new era of autonomous combat aviation alongside crewed fighters.
TowerSaab Unveils the A3-001, Sweden's Bet on Unmanned Combat Aircraft
Saab unveiled the A3-001 unmanned fighter and aims to fly a demonstrator within 18 months - here's what it means for pilots.
TowerKratos Grounds the XQ-58 Valkyrie After a Utah Test Crash, and What a Loyal Wingman Really Is
Kratos suspended XQ-58 Valkyrie flight testing after a Utah crash - here's what a loyal wingman is and why it matters.
TowerThe First Ohio-Built Fury Rolls Off the Line, and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Race Between Anduril and General Atomics Gets Real
Radio Hangar explores The First Ohio-Built Fury Rolls Off the Line, and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Race Between Anduril and General Atomics Gets Real.
TowerThe Air Force Flies Its Robot Wingmen at Creech, and Why Collaborative Combat Aircraft Matter to the Rest of Us
The Air Force tested Collaborative Combat Aircraft at Creech AFB, signaling where aviation autonomy is heading for military and civil pilots alike.
TowerFrom Dogfights To Drone Strikes and the two-speed air war rewriting combat aviation
Modern air warfare is splitting into high-end stealth platforms and expendable drones, rewriting the rules of air superiority in real time.
TowerSkunk Works Vectis and the stealth drone gap the F forty-seven cannot fill alone
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works unveils Vectis, a stealth drone designed to fly alongside the F-47 into contested airspace where cheaper CCAs cannot survive.
TowerGeneral Atomics gets the YFQ-42A back in the air after prototype crash
General Atomics resumed YFQ-42A flight testing just six weeks after a prototype crash, tracing the loss to a software fault.
TowerUS Air Force awards Aevex eighteen point five million dollars for one-way attack drones
The US Air Force awarded Aevex Aerospace $18.5M for expendable one-way attack drones, signaling a major shift in military aviation strategy.
TowerShield AI and the Hivemind software turning drones into autonomous wingmen
Shield AI's Hivemind software turns drones into autonomous wingmen that fly without GPS or comms links, reshaping military and civilian aviation.
VectorFive aircraft shaping the future of American air combat
Five military aircraft programs are reshaping American air combat, from upgraded legacy jets to autonomous drone wingmen.
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