Experimental operations unit fast-tracks collaborative combat aircraft program

The Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit under Air Combat Command has wrapped a major operator-led exercise with Collaborative Combat Aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., advancing the service’s push to field autonomous “loyal wingman” capability faster under its new Warfighting Acquisition System.

Working alongside Air Force Materiel Command’s 412th Test Wing, EOU Airmen ran a series of sorties with the YFQ-44A that honed day-to-day operating and sustainment practices for employing uncrewed aircraft in contested conditions. The event emphasized putting operators in the loop early to shape how the capability will be used and supported in the field.

“This experimental operations event was executed by EOU members from start to finish. Every sortie generated and flown was done with a warfighter, not an engineer or test pilot, kicking the tires and controlling the prototypes,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Jensen, EOU commander. “We are learning by doing, at a speed and risk tolerance accepted by the USAF’s most senior leaders, to ensure CCA is ready to operate and win in the most demanding combat environments.”

As the Air Force’s lead for developing how CCAs will be employed, the EOU is designed to keep operators at the center from the outset—building initial tactics, techniques and procedures and ensuring the systems can be integrated and used effectively in combat. Pairing AFMC’s test authorities with ACC’s operational authorities allowed the Air Force to accelerate the event and bring hands-on operator experimentation into an unusually early phase of development.

“The collaboration we saw in this exercise is the cornerstone of our acquisition transformation. By embedding the operators from the EOU with our acquisition professionals, we create a tight feedback loop that lets us trade operational risk with acquisition risk in real-time,” said Col. Timothy Helfrich, portfolio acquisition executive for fighters and advanced aircraft. “This isn’t just a test; it’s a demonstration of how we are adopting a more agile process. An 85% solution in the hands of a warfighter today is infinitely better than a 100% solution that never arrives.”

Service officials describe the CCA program as a proving ground for the Warfighting Acquisition System, an approach that shortens timelines from concept to combat-ready capability by tightening collaboration among operators, developers and testers.

The conclusion of the Edwards exercise moves the program closer to delivering uncrewed systems that can team with crewed aircraft as force multipliers—expanding reach and improving survivability—on the path to an operational CCA capability for the joint force.