The future of air combat is being forged in the Nevada desert as the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit pushed the boundaries of semi-autonomous technology during a recent Agile Combat Employment exercise.
The exercise highlighted CCA operations at Creech Air Force Base, testing unmanned platforms in a realistic operational environment.
U.S. Airmen assigned to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit prepare to load inert AIM-120 air-to-air missiles onto a YFQ-44A Fury aircraft at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 2026.The exercise provided information necessary to validate the reduced logistical footprint required to operate Collaborative Combat Aircraft in remote, forward-deployed locations. (U.S. Air Force photo by William R. Lewis)
“Air superiority in today’s increasingly contested environments requires the rapid fielding of affordable mass,”
said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach, emphasizing the strategic driver for the platform.
“CCA are essential to this effort. By integrating uncrewed systems to fly alongside our Airmen, we extend reach and increase lethality.”
A U.S. Airman assigned to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit helps load an inert AIM-120 air-to-air missile onto a YFQ-44A Fury aircraft at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 2026. The CCA’s enhanced tactical flexibility enables the platform to operate seamlessly alongside manned aircraft in contested, dynamic environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Renee Blundon)
The multi-day event was a critical step in moving the unmanned, force-multiplying aircraft from sterile test environments into the hands of warfighters. The exercise was designed with a primary goal of building the foundational tactics, techniques and procedures that will define how CCA are integrated into the force.
Throughout the exercise, the Experimental Operations Unit—the Air Force’s designated unit for developing CCA employment concepts—generated multiple sorties demonstrating reliability and extended range; integrated with manned platforms in the local airspace to project power across distributed battlefields; and simulated scenarios that will inform future requirements for the platform.
“This exercise was about getting the systems into the hands of the warfighter,”
said Lt. Col. Matthew Jensen, Experimental Operations Unit commander.
“We are focused on operating CCA outside of a traditional test environment so we can continue to learn, inform, and rapidly iterate.”
Additionally, members from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center observed the event, as part of a new, rapid operational testing procedure.
“Our test teams can continuously use these warfighter-run exercises to gather and analyze data that aids in informed CCA fielding decisions well ahead of the normal process to deliver combat capability when needed by our Air Force and the Nation,”
said Brigadier General Jesse Friedel, AFOTEC commander.
A U.S. Air Force YFQ-44A Fury aircraft assigned to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit, sits on the flight line during weapon loading procedures at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Renee Blundon)
Operating CCA across different locations is a significant learning objective in itself, challenging teams to adapt and operate with the agility required in a contested environment. Throughout the exercise, operators worked to integrate advanced autonomous capabilities, a key step toward achieving the program’s vision of effective human-machine teaming.
The CCA program, which has moved from concept to flight testing in less than two years, is designed to be a pathfinder for acquisition transformation. Jensen explained that by leveraging competition and embedding operators into the development process from day one, the EOU is accelerating the delivery of combat-ready, unmanned airpower.
“The exercise was not only a test of technology but a testament to the warfighters who are actively shaping CCA development,” Wilsbach said. “The lessons learned at Creech will directly influence how the Air Force integrates these cutting-edge concepts into future combat ops.”
Top Photo: A U.S. Airman assigned to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit refuels a YFQ-44A Fury aircraft assigned to the Experimental Operations Unit at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 2026. Led by the Experimental Operations Unit, the exercise tested the rapid deployment, logistics, and Operational readiness of the autonomous platforms. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Vinh Phan)