In a groundbreaking demonstration earlier this year, a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot remotely controlled an MQ-20 Avenger combat drone directly from the fighter’s cockpit during a simulated combat mission. The trial, revealed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems during the Dubai Airshow 2025, marks a major milestone in the evolution of crewed-uncrewed teaming (C-U-T) and the future of air combat autonomy. A conceptual view of the groundbreaking C-U-T demonstration, showing an F-22 pilot using a cockpit interface to remotely direct multiple MQ-20 Avenger drones during a simulated combat mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range. This capability is a major step toward future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) integration. The test took place over the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) and was supported by Lockheed Martin and L3Harris . The mission showcased how a single-seat fighter pilot can command a high-performance autonomous drone alongside their own aircraft in...