The U.S. Air Force is launching an effort to help teach combat drones to play well with human pilots—and vice versa. Last week, the USAF 53rd Wing formally activated the Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) into a fully operational squadron equivalent. During a ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, the unit, which had been operating as a detachment since 2023, received its new elevation. The promotion marks a key progression in the Air Force’s plans to develop fully operational capabilities for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) under Increment 1 by the end of the decade.
According to a press release from the 53rd Wing, the EOU will transition into the Virtual Warfare Center and the Joint Integrated Test and Training Center at Nellis Air Force Base. The unit plans to conduct realistic simulations in a virtual environment, as well as live-fly experiments to verify simulation results.
This activation comes on the heels of a previous May announcement where the Air Force said they have begun ground testing for the CCA program. The entire CCA program at-large is a notable shift in philosophy for the Air Force, one that sees a human-machine partnership as an essential part of air superiority going forward.
“We are here to accelerate the delivery of combat-ready capabilities to the warfighter,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Jensen, EOU commander. “Our experimental operations will ensure that CCA are immediately viable as a credible combat capability that increases Joint Force survivability and lethality.”
The CCA initiative is akin to the “Loyal Wingman” concept, where unmanned and autonomous aircraft aid with the operations of manned aircraft. In theory, CCA’s could handle the responsibility of delivering ordnance, establishing target identities, maintaining communications and more without the human risk and price tag of traditional aircraft.
And, while it could be easy to interpret this transformation as the first step in transitioning manned aircraft out of the military as a whole, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said that CCA development is one the airmen need. “We’re moving fast because the warfighter needs this capability,” Allvin said. “CCA is about delivering decisive advantage in highly contested environments.
Earlier this month, Ukraine demonstrated just how effective and relatively inexpensive autonomous aerial combat can be, bringing a whole new slate of concerns to the battlefield— concerns that the U.S. hopes to solve with ingenuity.
“The pace of innovation must outmatch the pace of the threat,” Allvin said. “CCA is how we do that.”
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