{"id":53857,"date":"2026-03-27T10:53:08","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T09:53:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/one-pilot-one-fighter-one-drone-wingman-the-f-22-just-changed-war\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T11:07:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T09:07:18","slug":"one-pilot-one-fighter-one-drone-wingman-the-f-22-just-changed-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/one-pilot-one-fighter-one-drone-wingman-the-f-22-just-changed-war\/","title":{"rendered":"One Pilot, One Fighter, One Drone Wingman: The F-22 Just Changed War"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Edwards Air Force Base in February 2026, an F-22 Raptor pilot did something no fighter pilot has done before in an official U.S. Air Force exercise: he commanded a drone wingman in combat-like conditions. From his cockpit, using a specialist interface on a tablet, he directed a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger to adjust its flight path, hold a Combat Air Patrol station, and engage a simulated airborne threat \u2014 all while the F-22 handled its own mission simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It lasted a few hours. It was the second such exercise in four months. And it may represent the most significant shift in fighter aviation since the introduction of radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">One Pilot, Two Aircraft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The technology that made it possible is called the Autonodyne Bashi Pilot Vehicle Interface \u2014 a system that allows an F-22 pilot to issue high-level tactical commands to the MQ-20 without taking his hands off his own aircraft's controls for long. The drone's onboard autonomy software interprets those commands and executes them independently, using its own sensors and processing power to navigate, detect threats, and respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GA-ASI President David Alexander described the significance clearly: \"This demo featured the integration of mission elements and the ability of autonomy to utilise onboard sensors to make independent decisions and execute commands from the F-22.\" The drone is not being remotely piloted. It is being directed \u2014 like a subordinate officer following orders and using its own judgment to carry them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\" style=\"width:100%;\">\n  <img data-opt-id=147278869  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"852\" src=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f22-raptor-lockheed-martin.jpg\" alt=\"F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in flight\" class=\"wp-image-53853\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;display:block;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:1280\/h:852\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f22-raptor-lockheed-martin.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:980\/h:652\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f22-raptor-lockheed-martin.jpg 980w, https:\/\/ml5psubhxdln.i.optimole.com\/cb:0e0_.b970\/w:480\/h:320\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/03\/f22-raptor-lockheed-martin.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1280px, 100vw\" \/>\n  <figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\" style=\"text-align:left;\">The F-22 Raptor \u2014 tested at Edwards AFB as a commander for the MQ-20 Avenger drone in a manned-unmanned teaming exercise. The concept could eventually allow one pilot to direct multiple autonomous wingmen. (U.S. Air Force \/ Wikimedia Commons)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Logic of Loyal Wingmen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why does this matter? Fighter pilots are extraordinarily expensive to train and irreplaceable in combat. Unmanned aircraft are comparatively cheap and entirely expendable. The \"loyal wingman\" concept combines the two: a human in a crewed aircraft makes the high-level decisions \u2014 when to engage, when to retreat, which target to prioritise \u2014 while autonomous drones execute the dangerous parts of the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a future conflict over the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait, where air defenses are dense and losses would be severe, the ability to send a drone to do the riskiest work \u2014 first-wave suppression of air defenses, close-in engagement of threats \u2014 while the crewed aircraft stays in a safer position changes the calculus of air combat entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Industry Test to Air Force Reality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The October 2025 exercise at Nevada's Test and Training Range was industry-funded \u2014 General Atomics paying its own bills to prove the concept. The February 2026 exercise at Edwards was different: the U.S. Air Force was an active partner, using government-developed autonomy software. The progression from private experiment to official programme is significant. The Air Force is no longer watching this technology develop. It is building it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The era of one pilot, one aircraft may be ending. What comes next is one pilot, and however many drones he can command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Sources: Alert5; General Atomics; U.S. Air Force<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<!-- mf-faq -->\n\n<div class=\"mf-faq-block\"><style>.mf-faq-block{margin:34px 0}.mf-faq-item:not([open]) .mf-faq-answer{display:none !important}.mf-faq-block h2.mf-faq-h{padding-top:22px;margin-bottom:14px}.mf-faq-item{border:1px solid #e2e8f5;border-radius:8px;margin:0 0 10px;background:#fff}.mf-faq-item summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;padding:15px 50px 15px 18px;font-weight:600;color:#1a1a1a;position:relative;line-height:1.45;user-select:none}.mf-faq-item summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mf-faq-item summary::after{content:\"+\";position:absolute;right:18px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);font-size:1.5em;font-weight:400;color:#5C91FF;line-height:1}.mf-faq-item[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mf-faq-item[open] summary{border-bottom:1px solid #eef1f8}.mf-faq-item summary:hover{background:#f5f8ff}.mf-faq-answer{padding:14px 18px;color:#333;line-height:1.6}.mf-faq-answer p{margin:0}.mf-faq-answer a{color:#5C91FF}<\/style><h2 class=\"mf-faq-h\">Related Questions<\/h2><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is a loyal wingman drone?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>A loyal wingman is an autonomous drone that flies alongside a crewed fighter, carrying out dangerous tasks like suppressing air defenses or engaging threats while the pilot makes high-level decisions. The concept pairs expensive, irreplaceable pilots with cheap, expendable drones. In 2026 an <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/f-22-raptor-finnish-f-35-training-ebbing-2026\/\">F-22 Raptor<\/a> pilot directed an MQ-20 Avenger in a US Air Force exercise.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Can a fighter pilot control a drone in flight?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Yes. At Edwards Air Force Base in February 2026, an F-22 Raptor pilot used a tablet interface to command a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger drone\u2014directing it to change course, hold a patrol station and engage a simulated threat\u2014while flying his own jet. The drone's onboard autonomy software executed the high-level commands.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is manned-unmanned teaming?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Manned-unmanned teaming pairs crewed aircraft with autonomous drones that operate under a pilot's high-level direction. The human decides when to engage or retreat while drones handle the riskiest work. The US Air Force is fielding this through its <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/air-force-cca-fq-42a-fq-44a-production-contracts\/\">Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme<\/a>, which aims to put hundreds of drone wingmen alongside fighters.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>What is the General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>The MQ-20 Avenger is a jet-powered, stealthy unmanned aircraft built by General Atomics, used as a testbed for autonomous combat operations. In 2026 it served as the drone wingman commanded by an F-22 pilot during manned-unmanned teaming exercises, demonstrating how autonomy software can execute a human's tactical orders in flight.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"mf-faq-item\"><summary>Why does the US want drone wingmen?<\/summary><div class=\"mf-faq-answer\"><p>Fighter pilots are extremely expensive to train and irreplaceable, while drones are comparatively cheap and expendable. Drone wingmen let a human make decisions from a safer position while uncrewed aircraft take on first-wave air-defense suppression and close-in engagements. In a dense-threat conflict over the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea, this changes the loss calculus dramatically.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is a loyal wingman drone?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A loyal wingman is an autonomous drone that flies alongside a crewed fighter, carrying out dangerous tasks like suppressing air defenses or engaging threats while the pilot makes high-level decisions. The concept pairs expensive, irreplaceable pilots with cheap, expendable drones. In 2026 an <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/f-22-raptor-finnish-f-35-training-ebbing-2026\/\\\">F-22 Raptor<\/a> pilot directed an MQ-20 Avenger in a US Air Force exercise.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can a fighter pilot control a drone in flight?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes. At Edwards Air Force Base in February 2026, an F-22 Raptor pilot used a tablet interface to command a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger drone\u2014directing it to change course, hold a patrol station and engage a simulated threat\u2014while flying his own jet. The drone's onboard autonomy software executed the high-level commands.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is manned-unmanned teaming?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Manned-unmanned teaming pairs crewed aircraft with autonomous drones that operate under a pilot's high-level direction. The human decides when to engage or retreat while drones handle the riskiest work. The US Air Force is fielding this through its <a href=\\\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/jetflights\/air-force-cca-fq-42a-fq-44a-production-contracts\/\\\">Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme<\/a>, which aims to put hundreds of drone wingmen alongside fighters.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The MQ-20 Avenger is a jet-powered, stealthy unmanned aircraft built by General Atomics, used as a testbed for autonomous combat operations. In 2026 it served as the drone wingman commanded by an F-22 pilot during manned-unmanned teaming exercises, demonstrating how autonomy software can execute a human's tactical orders in flight.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why does the US want drone wingmen?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Fighter pilots are extremely expensive to train and irreplaceable, while drones are comparatively cheap and expendable. 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From his cockpit, using a specialist interface on a tablet, he directed a General Atomics MQ-20 Avenger to adjust its [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":53853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>One Pilot, One Fighter, One Drone Wingman: The F-22 Jus | MiGFlug Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At Edwards Air Force Base in February 2026, an F-22 Raptor pilot did something no fighter pilot has done before in an official U.S. Air Force exercise: he.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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