F-22 jet controls MQ-20 combat drone in advanced trials

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris have completed a new crewed-uncrewed teaming demonstration in which an F-22 Raptor directly commanded an MQ-20 Avenger unmanned jet.

The flight took place on 21 October at the Nevada Test and Training Range and used two L3Harris software-defined radios linked through Lockheed Martin’s open architecture interfaces. A Pilot Vehicle Interface tablet inside the F-22, connected through the aircraft’s GRACE module, allowed the pilot to control the MQ-20 in real time.

GA-ASI said the test proved a government-owned, non-proprietary communications environment suitable for Open Mission Systems, with hardware flown, recovered, and re-flown across multiple events. The companies described the flight as part of a broader series of industry-funded trials to show how manned and unmanned platforms can share tasks and targeting data.

The U.S. Air Force has been clear that the F-22 will serve as its first airborne controller for future Collaborative Combat Aircraft, giving the service an interim gateway until sixth-generation systems mature.

The flight also signals the MQ-20’s growing role as a testbed for autonomous combat teaming. The Avenger is one of GA-ASI’s longest-running internal development programmes, created as a higher-speed, higher-survivability successor to the Predator line. Its first flight was in 2009, with the extended-range model entering testing in 2016 and proving capable of missions lasting beyond 20 hours. The jet-powered design allows rapid repositioning, wide-area surveillance, and time-sensitive strike roles at altitudes above 50,000 feet.

Powered by a Pratt & Whitney turbofan generating more than 5,000 pounds of thrust, the MQ-20 can operate from runways under 5,000 feet and reach speeds around 400 knots. An internal weapons bay accommodates roughly 3,000 pounds of munitions or large sensors, while wing stations can carry additional payloads. Its S-shaped exhaust and internal stores reduce infrared and radar signatures, giving the platform far better survivability than earlier Predator variants in contested airspace.

The Avenger shares ground control systems, avionics, and many materials with the MQ-9 Reaper, keeping operating costs low while adding a jet-powered, low-observable profile. GA-ASI positions the aircraft as a supplement to low-density, high-demand platforms such as long-range radar and signals intelligence assets. The design also allows the MQ-20 to deploy smaller unmanned systems from standoff distances.