F-22 Pilot Controls Drone With Tablet

December 1, 2025

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works®, with industry partners and the U.S. Air Force, controlled an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) from the cockpit of a fifth generation fighter jet while in flight.

During the recent flight out of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, an F-22 Raptor pilot successfully used an open interface in the cockpit to send control directions to another airborne UAS.

"This effort represents Skunk Works driving a breakthrough in air combat capability, where single-seat aircraft command and control drones with simple and intuitive interfaces in the cockpit," said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works.

The F-22 pilot used a pilot vehicle interface (PVI) to command the drone to execute a specific mission profile. The PVI represents a flexible system to provide integration-ready capabilities for both current and future platforms.

The flight occurred in collaboration with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and L3Harris Technologies. The effort integrated L3Harris’ 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 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.

The collaborative demonstration showcased non-proprietary, U.S. 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 uncrewed autonomy ecosystem.

This event demonstrates human-machine teaming capabilities and the future of air combat, today. Lockheed Martin has been focused on the transformative power of autonomous and AI-enabled operations in crewed and uncrewed systems for years, with particular focus on integrating autonomous drones with the F-22 and F-35.

This flight event and other ongoing evaluations are crucial steps in realizing the Air Force's family of systems vision. Human-machine teaming enhances situational awareness, interoperability, survivability and flexibility, unlocking a significant advantage for the U.S. Air Force.

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