On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Air Force took a bold step toward redefining air combat by activating the Experimental Operations Unit [EOU] at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.
This new squadron, previously a detachment since 2023, is now tasked with testing and refining the integration of Collaborative Combat Aircraft [CCA]—uncrewed, autonomous drones designed to fly alongside advanced fighters like the F-35 and next-generation platforms.
The move signals the Air Force’s commitment to accelerating the development of these cutting-edge systems, aiming to deliver combat-ready drones by the end of the decade. As the service pushes to maintain air dominance in increasingly complex battlefields, the EOU’s work could reshape how wars are fought, though questions linger about the ambitious timeline and technical hurdles ahead.
The EOU’s mission centers on pioneering human-machine teaming, a concept where autonomous drones work seamlessly with piloted aircraft to enhance situational awareness, firepower, and mission flexibility.
General David Allvin, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, underscored the unit’s significance, stating, “Another milestone down in delivering CCA to our warfighters! We activated an Experimental Operations Unit @NellisAFB to be an operational squadron. This unit is dedicated to testing and refining human-machine teaming concepts to dominate the battlespace.”
The unit’s activation marks a pivotal moment in the Air Force’s broader strategy to integrate uncrewed systems into its force structure, a response to the growing complexity of modern warfare where adversaries deploy advanced air defenses and electronic warfare capabilities.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft represents a new breed of uncrewed systems, distinct from traditional drones like the MQ-9 Reaper. These platforms, designed to operate as “loyal wingmen,” leverage artificial intelligence to perform a range of missions, from reconnaissance to electronic warfare to carrying weapons like air-to-air missiles.
Unlike conventional unmanned combat air vehicles [UCAVs], CCAs are built for survivability in contested environments, incorporating advanced autonomy and lower costs compared to piloted fighters. The Air Force has selected two companies, General Atomics and Anduril, to develop prototypes for the first increment of the CCA program, designated YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A, respectively. Both are expected to fly for the first time this summer, a critical test of their readiness.
The YFQ-42A, developed by General Atomics, builds on the company’s experience with the MQ-20 Avenger, a jet-powered drone capable of high-speed flight and advanced sensor integration. The Avenger, with a wingspan of 66 feet and a maximum speed of around 400 knots, has demonstrated autonomous capabilities in tests, including a November 2022 flight where it paired with a Sabreliner and two F-5 Advanced Tigers.
The YFQ-42A, also known as Gambit, is expected to feature enhanced stealth characteristics and a modular payload bay, allowing it to carry a mix of sensors, electronic warfare systems, or weapons like the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Its design emphasizes flexibility, enabling it to serve as a sensor node to detect threats or a “missile truck” to extend the firepower of piloted fighters. General Atomics displayed a full-scale model of the Gambit in September 2024, highlighting its sleek, tailless design optimized for low observability.
Anduril’s YFQ-44A, dubbed Fury, takes a different approach, focusing on rapid development and cost efficiency. Anduril, a relative newcomer to defense contracting, has leveraged its expertise in AI and software to create a platform that prioritizes adaptability.
The Fury showcased as a full-scale model in 2024, is designed to operate at medium altitudes and integrate advanced AI for real-time decision-making. While specific details remain classified, the Fury is expected to carry a suite of sensors, including electro-optical and infrared systems, to provide real-time intelligence to pilots and ground commanders. Its smaller size compared to the Gambit suggests a focus on affordability, aligning with the Air Force’s goal of fielding large numbers of CCAs to overwhelm adversaries.
The EOU’s role is to put these prototypes through their paces, testing how they integrate with piloted aircraft in realistic scenarios. Colonel Daniel Lehoski, commander of the 53rd Wing, emphasized the unit’s importance, saying, “This is a pivotal moment for our force. The EOU embodies our commitment to rapid innovation and ensuring our warfighters have the most advanced tools to dominate the future battlespace. They are ready to reduce risk in concurrency and deliver capability faster.”
The unit will operate within the Virtual Warfare Center and the Joint Integrated Test and Training Center at Nellis, using high-fidelity simulations and live-fly exercises to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures [TTPs] for CCAs.
These efforts will focus on scenarios like suppression of enemy air defenses [SEAD], where CCAs could act as decoys or jammers, or air superiority missions, where they extend the range of piloted fighters by carrying additional missiles.
Nellis Air Force Base, located just north of Las Vegas, is uniquely suited for this task. Home to the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center, Nellis hosts the renowned Red Flag exercises, which simulate large-scale air combat with allied forces.
The base’s 2.9-million-acre Nevada Test and Training Range provides a vast, instrumented airspace where complex scenarios can be tested without interference. Exercises like Red Flag and Bamboo Eagle have long served as proving grounds for new tactics, and the EOU will build on this legacy by incorporating CCAs into these scenarios.
For example, during Red Flag 25-1, held earlier this year, U.S. forces trained alongside the Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force, testing interoperability in contested environments. The EOU will likely use similar exercises to refine how CCAs communicate with piloted aircraft and ground control stations.
The concept of human-machine teaming isn’t entirely new. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Skyborg program, launched in 2019, laid the groundwork by developing AI-driven autonomy for drones like the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie. The Valkyrie, a low-cost, jet-powered drone with a range of over 2,000 miles, was tested in 2022 alongside F-35s and F-22s, demonstrating its ability to operate as a loyal wingman.
Unlike the XQ-58A, which focuses on affordability and attritability, CCAs aim for greater survivability and mission flexibility. The EOU’s work will advance these efforts by focusing on operational integration, ensuring that pilots can manage multiple drones without being overwhelmed.
Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Jensen, EOU commander, highlighted this goal, stating, “We are here to accelerate the delivery of combat-ready capabilities to the warfighter. Our experimental operations will ensure that CCA is immediately viable as a credible combat capability that increases Joint Force survivability and lethality.”
To understand the significance of the EOU’s mission, it’s worth looking at the historical context of uncrewed systems in air combat. In the 1970s, Nellis was home to the 4477th Tactical Evaluation Flight, known as “Red Eagles,” which flew captured Soviet MiG-17s, MiG-21s, and MiG-23s to develop tactics against adversary aircraft.
This covert program, named Constant Peg, helped U.S. pilots prepare for real-world combat by simulating enemy tactics. Similarly, the EOU will use CCAs to simulate future battlefields, where autonomous drones must counter advanced threats like China’s J-20 stealth fighter or Russia’s Su-57.
These aircraft, equipped with long-range missiles and sophisticated electronic warfare systems, pose challenges that CCAs are designed to address. For instance, a CCA could carry jammers to disrupt enemy radars or deploy decoys to draw fire, protecting piloted fighters.
The Air Force’s vision for CCAs is ambitious. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall has outlined plans to pair at least 1,000 CCAs with 200 NGAD platforms and 300 F-35s, creating a force structure where each piloted fighter controls multiple drones. This concept, detailed in a March 2023 speech, aims to provide “affordable mass,” allowing the Air Force to overwhelm adversaries with numbers while keeping costs manageable.
The fiscal year 2024 budget allocated $490 million for CCA development, with an additional $72 million for the EOU to test organizational structures, maintenance concepts, and training requirements. Over the next five years, the Air Force plans to spend $6 billion on the program, underscoring its priority.
The technical specifications of CCAs are tailored to their role as force multipliers. The YFQ-42A Gambit, for example, is expected to have a maximum takeoff weight of around 20,000 pounds, similar to the MQ-20 Avenger. Its jet-powered propulsion, likely a derivative of the General Electric F404 engine, provides a top speed exceeding 500 knots and a range of approximately 2,500 miles.
The Gambit’s payload bay can accommodate up to 4,000 pounds of equipment, including advanced radar systems like synthetic aperture radar for ground mapping or infrared search-and-track [IRST] sensors for detecting stealth aircraft. Its stealth features, such as a low radar cross-section and internal weapons bays, make it suitable for penetrating contested airspace. In contrast, the YFQ-44A Fury is likely smaller, with a focus on modularity and rapid deployment.
Its AI-driven autonomy allows it to adapt to changing mission requirements, such as switching from reconnaissance to electronic attack in real-time.
Comparatively, other nations are pursuing similar concepts. China’s AVIC Dark Sword, a stealthy UCAV first revealed in 2006, aims to serve as a loyal wingman for the J-20. Recent reports suggest China is testing a twin-seat J-20 variant, where a second pilot could manage drones, highlighting a different approach to human-machine teaming.
Russia’s Okhotnik UCAV, designed to pair with the Su-57, features a flying-wing design and a payload capacity of around 6,000 pounds. While these platforms share similarities with CCAs, the U.S. program emphasizes affordability and scalability, aiming to field drones in large numbers. The EOU’s experiments will be critical in determining whether these systems can match or surpass their foreign counterparts in operational effectiveness.
Testing at Nellis will focus on integrating CCAs into complex formations. In a typical scenario, an F-35 pilot might control two CCAs, one equipped with sensors to detect enemy aircraft and another carrying missiles like the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, which offers extended range over the AIM-120.
The pilot would use a secure data link, such as the Link 16 or the newer MADL [Multifunction Advanced Data Link], to coordinate the drones’ actions. The EOU will explore how to manage this workload, ensuring pilots can focus on decision-making rather than micromanaging drones.
Exercises like Bamboo Eagle, conducted in 2024, have already tested similar concepts, with F-35s and F-15EXs operating in dispersed formations to counter simulated threats. The EOU will build on these lessons, using the Nevada Test and Training Range to simulate contested environments with jamming and decoys.
The Air Force’s push for CCAs comes at a time when air combat is evolving rapidly. The proliferation of advanced surface-to-air missiles, like Russia’s S-400 or China’s HQ-9, requires aircraft that can operate in high-threat zones without risking human lives. CCAs address this need by acting as forward sensors or decoys, absorbing risks that would otherwise fall to piloted aircraft.
For example, a CCA could jam enemy radars with an electronic warfare pod, allowing an F-35 to strike a target undetected. Alternatively, it could deploy small drones to create a “swarm” effect, overwhelming enemy defenses. These tactics, tested during exercises like Red Flag, draw on Nellis’s long history of developing innovative air combat strategies.
The EOU’s activation builds on earlier efforts to integrate autonomy into air operations. The Air Force’s Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model [VENOM], launched in 2024, equipped six F-16s with AI-enabled self-flying capabilities to test autonomous software.
The $50 million program, funded in the 2024 budget, provided insights into how pilots interact with AI-driven systems. Similarly, the 805th Combat Training Squadron at Nellis, known as the Shadow Operations Center, has been experimenting with AI for battle management since 2022.
During a December 2024 capstone event, the squadron tested the Tactical Operations Center-Light [TOC-L], a system that integrates AI to support dynamic targeting. These efforts inform the EOU’s work, ensuring that CCAs are not just technological marvels but practical tools for warfighters.
Despite the promise of CCAs, significant challenges remain. The reliability of data links in contested environments is a major concern. Adversaries with advanced electronic warfare capabilities, such as China’s J-16D or Russia’s Krasukha-4 jammers, could disrupt communications between pilots and drones, rendering CCAs ineffective.
The Air Force is addressing this through projects like the Advanced Battle Management System [ABMS], which aims to create resilient networks for command and control. However, the complexity of integrating CCAs with existing systems, like the F-35’s sensor fusion, poses another hurdle.
The F-35, with its AN/APG-81 radar and Distributed Aperture System, generates vast amounts of data, and adding CCAs to the mix could overwhelm pilots without streamlined interfaces.
Historical parallels highlight the risks of rushing new technology into service. The F-35 program, plagued by early issues with software and concurrency, faced delays and cost overruns before reaching full operational capability. The Air Force’s decision to pursue concurrent development for CCAs—building and testing simultaneously—raises similar concerns.
Colonel Lehoski’s mention of “reducing risk in concurrency” suggests the EOU is aware of these challenges, but the lack of public details about the prototypes’ progress fuels skepticism. Will the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A be ready for combat by 2030, or will technical issues delay their deployment?
The EOU’s experiments will also address logistical and training challenges. CCAs, unlike traditional aircraft, may have shorter service lives, requiring new maintenance and sustainment models. The Air Force’s 2024 budget request for $72 million to support the EOU includes funds for exploring these requirements, but scaling up production and training remains daunting.
For instance, pilots will need to learn how to manage multiple drones in real-time, a task that demands new training simulators and protocols. The Virtual Warfare Operations Center at Nellis, completed in 2020, provides a state-of-the-art facility for such training, with four 12-foot-high domed simulators that replicate complex scenarios.
Looking ahead, the EOU’s work will shape the Air Force’s future force structure. The service’s goal of fielding 1,000 CCAs by the late 2020s is ambitious, but it reflects the need to counter adversaries with growing air forces. China, for example, is expanding its fleet of J-20 stealth fighters and developing its own loyal wingman drones, while Russia continues to refine its Okhotnik UCAV.
The EOU’s ability to develop effective TTPs will determine whether CCAs can deliver the promised “affordable mass” without compromising capability. The Air Force’s investment in the program, including $150 million reprogrammed in 2024 for additional CCA purchases, underscores its commitment to this vision.
The activation of the EOU marks a turning point for the Air Force, signaling a shift toward a future where autonomous drones are integral to air combat. As the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A prepare for their first flights, the unit’s experiments will provide critical insights into how these systems can enhance the lethality and survivability of U.S. forces.
Yet, the road ahead is fraught with challenges, from technical hurdles to the complexities of integrating AI into high-stakes missions. Nellis, with its storied history of pushing the boundaries of air combat, is the ideal place to tackle these issues.
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