U.S. Air Force Accelerates Collaborative Combat Aircraft Testing for Operational Readiness.

The U.S. Air Force is advancing its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program through a large-scale operational exercise at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The event moves autonomous combat aircraft closer to frontline service by validating how they can operate alongside crewed aircraft in realistic combat conditions.

Designed to evaluate Collaborative Combat Aircraft under operationally representative conditions rather than in a controlled test environment, the exercise brings together aircrews, test personnel and operational evaluation teams to refine tactics, techniques and procedures. The event supports the Air Force's broader effort to transition the CCA program from experimentation to operational capability, as future high-intensity conflicts are expected to place greater emphasis on combat mass, survivability and operational flexibility.

Related News: The Future of Collaborative Combat Aircraft: Built on Versatility and Modularity

A U.S. Air Force YFQ-44A Fury assigned to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit undergoes weapon loading procedures on the flight line at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, on July 21, 2026. (Picture source: US DoD)

The exercise is led by the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit (EOU), the organization established by the U.S. Air Force to develop the tactics, techniques, and procedures that will govern the employment of future collaborative combat drones. Serving as an operational laboratory, the unit is tasked with validating new concepts of employment under realistic conditions and translating the lessons learned into capabilities that can be adopted by operational forces. The activities are conducted within the framework of the Agile Combat Employment concept, which emphasizes force dispersal, mobility, and a reduced logistical footprint to preserve operational freedom against adversaries capable of conducting long-range strikes.

According to information published on July 27, 2026, by the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center Public Affairs, the exercise represents an important step in moving Collaborative Combat Aircraft from developmental testing toward operational employment. U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General Ken Wilsbach stated that maintaining air superiority in increasingly contested environments requires the rapid fielding of affordable mass, with CCA forming a central element of that approach. Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Jensen, commander of the Experimental Operations Unit, added that operating the aircraft outside a traditional test environment accelerates the development of future concepts of employment.

The aircraft participating in the exercise are the General Atomics YFQ-42A Dark Merlin and the Anduril YFQ-44A Fury, the two prototypes selected for Increment 1 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. Both are designed to operate as loyal wingmen alongside combat aircraft including the F-35A Lightning II, F-22 Raptor, F-15EX Eagle II and, eventually, the future sixth-generation F-47. Their open architecture enables the rapid integration of new autonomy software, sensors, secure communications systems and mission payloads while simplifying future capability upgrades without extensive structural modifications. The YFQ-42A Dark Merlin, developed by General Atomics from the XQ-67A demonstrator within the Gambit family, is optimized for endurance and low observability, and can accommodate weapons or sensors in an internal payload bay, depending on mission requirements. The YFQ-44A Fury, derived from the demonstrator originally developed by Blue Force Technologies before its acquisition by Anduril, adopts a configuration closer to that of a light fighter. Measuring approximately 6.1 meters in length with a 5.2-meter wingspan, it is powered by a Williams FJ44-4M turbofan producing approximately 18 kN of thrust, enabling speeds approaching Mach 0.95 and an operational ceiling of around 15,000 meters. The platform is designed to carry two AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles as well as intelligence, electronic warfare, reconnaissance, and electronic support payloads depending on operational requirements.

Official photographs released by the U.S. Air Force provide additional insight into the objectives of the exercise. They show YFQ-44A Fury aircraft during startup procedures, refueling, maintenance activities and pre-flight preparations, as well as during the loading of inert AIM-120 AMRAAM training missiles. One aircraft is also seen carrying a pair of CATM-120C Captive Air Training Missiles, a configuration intended to replicate the aerodynamic and operational characteristics of an air-to-air mission without employing live weapons. These activities assess how quickly the aircraft can be refueled, rearmed, and returned to service from forward operating locations with a limited maintenance team, a key objective of the Agile Combat Employment concept. The photographs also show personnel from the Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force, reflecting ongoing cooperation between the United States and the Netherlands in the development of platform-agnostic, open architecture semi-autonomous capabilities intended to improve data sharing and interoperability during future coalition air operations.

The CCA showcased at Farnborough 2026 reflects the same transition seen at Creech, moving Collaborative Combat Aircraft from concept to operational reality.

Over several days, the participating crews generate multiple sorties to evaluate platform reliability, long-range operations, and integration with crewed aircraft in a distributed operational environment. The scenarios are also intended to refine future program requirements in areas including sustainment, command and control, and integration within combat force structures. The Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) monitors activities through an accelerated evaluation process that directly uses data collected during operational exercises. According to AFOTEC Commander Brigadier General Jesse Friedel, this approach will support earlier decisions regarding the fielding of future capabilities. The exercise also evaluates the ability of maintenance teams to sustain a high sortie generation rate while operating from dispersed locations, a factor expected to become increasingly important in high-intensity conflict.

The activities conducted at Creech indicate that the CCA program is evolving beyond the development of a new aircraft toward a distributed combat system. The YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A are not intended to perform a single dedicated role but to support multiple mission configurations depending on operational requirements. A single airframe may therefore be configured for air superiority missions using AIM-120 missiles, electronic warfare, intelligence collection, communications relay or advanced reconnaissance before being reassigned to another mission through software updates or the integration of different payloads. This modular approach, combined with an open architecture and autonomy software developed independently of the platform itself, represents a departure from the more rigid modernization cycles associated with conventional combat aircraft. It also explains why the U.S. Air Force considers CCA a force multiplier capable of operating alongside the F-35A, F-22A, F-15EX and the future F-47.

The implications extend well beyond the modernization of the U.S. Air Force fleet. Australia continues development of Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, the first Western loyal wingman demonstrator to complete multiple flight test campaigns, while the United Kingdom is advancing its own Collaborative Combat Aircraft effort alongside the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). China is expanding demonstrations of collaborative combat drones intended to operate with the J-20 and future sixth-generation fighter aircraft, while Russia continues development of the S-70 Okhotnik-B, designed to operate in coordination with the Su-57, although the program has progressed more slowly. In this context, the primary challenge is no longer limited to fielding a capable combat drone, but to producing a family of semi-autonomous platforms built around a common software architecture that can be modernized efficiently and adapted to the operational requirements of different air forces. This approach increasingly shapes the direction of future air combat capability development among major military powers.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.

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