GA-ASI, Lockheed Martin and L3Harris collaborate on Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming flight test

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies have collaborated on a flight test that successfully demonstrated Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming using a single-seat F-22 Raptor fighter jet and a GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger® unmanned jet. The effort integrated L3Harris’s BANSHEE™ Advanced Tactical Datalinks with its Pantera Software-Defined Radios (SDRs) via Lockheed Martin’s open radio architectures, all integrated and shared from an F-22 Raptor.

Two L3Harris Software‑Defined Radios (SDRs) supported the demonstration, the companies say. The first SDR was installed into the General Atomics MQ‑20 Avenger, and the second was integrated in the Lockheed Martin F‑22 Raptor. Through the Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI) tablet and the F‑22’s GRACE module, the system provided end‑to‑end communications, enabling the F‑22 command and control of the MQ‑20 in flight.

GA-ASI already manufactures the YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) for the US Air Force (USAF) and the MQ-20 is understood to be a surrogate for the CCA, one of two which the USAF has funded. The F-22 Raptor is expected to play a significant role in Manned-Unmanned Teaming (or MUM-T), along with other aircraft in the USAF inventory.

The YFQ-42A flew earlier this year and its rival, the Anduril YFQ-44A Fury flew for the first time last month. The USAF is expected to make a decision soon on which CCA will go into production, and could award production contracts to both.

The companies said the collaborative demonstration also showcased non-proprietary, US government-owned software architecture, exhibiting what GA says was non-proprietary, US-government-owned communications capabilities and the ability to fly, transition, and re-fly flight hardware that is core to the Open Mission Systems and skills-based, unmanned autonomy ecosystem.

The demonstration took place at the Nevada Test and Training Range and is part of an ongoing series of flight demonstrations using internal R&D funding to showcase “the art of the possible” between manned and unmanned teaming.

The RAAF has a similar program to the CCA at a far more advanced stage, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat, built in Australia by Boeing Defence Australia. This has achieved more than 150 flights and more than 20,000 hours of testing using a digital twin. It is due to launch live air-air missiles in trials later this calendar year and a report on whether or not Defence should acquire the system will be sent to the Minister for Defence shortly afterwards.