One pilot, two aircraft: F-22 Raptor directs autonomous combat drone in glimpse of future air warfare

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What just happened? The US Air Force has announced the military's latest move toward an autonomous future. This time, an F-22 Raptor pilot directed a drone during simulated combat. The pilot issued high-level tactical directives to the YFQ-44A while flying, essentially turning it into an unpiloted wingman.

The demonstration took place earlier this month, when the Raptor and Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Once airborne, the pilot sent an updated mission plan over a tactical data link. The drone's onboard software interpreted those instructions and carried out the maneuvers and simulated combat tasks.

While it might sound like it, this wasn't a case of someone flying two aircraft at once. The pilot decided what the Fury should do, while the autonomous system handled the flight...

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