Collins Aerospace has completed a successful test flight of its Sidekick mission autonomy software using a YFQ-42A uncrewed jet developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI).
The trial forms part of the US Air Force’s (USAF) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme.
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The demonstration involved pairing uncrewed and crewed aircraft to extend sensor range, enhance weapon effectiveness, and support overall mission objectives.
During the flight, the Sidekick software enabled four hours of autonomous operation, managed by a human operator located on the ground.
The test confirmed that Collins Aerospace’s autonomy software integrated with the YFQ-42A’s mission systems and delivered precise piloting commands.
Collins Aerospace vice president and strategic defence solutions general manager Ryan Bunge said: “The rapid integration of Sidekick onto this platform to perform various combat-relevant tasks highlight the strength and adaptability of Collins’ open systems approach.
“The autonomy capabilities showcased in this flight highlight nearly a decade of dedicated investment and close collaboration with our customers to advance collaborative mission autonomy.”
Sidekick, developed by Collins Aerospace, facilitates open systems collaboration between human teams and autonomous platforms during combat air operations.
The system has been designed to adjust to pilot preferences and specific mission requirements.
The USAF selected the RTX division to support development and testing for Increment 1 of the CCA programme.
Proposed by the USAF, this programme aims to test, develop, and deploy new methods for integrating autonomous systems with crewed-uncrewed aircraft.
In 2024, early development awards were made by the USAF to Anduril, Boeing, GA-ASI, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to create collaborative combat aircraft designs.
Later that year, Anduril and GA-ASI were chosen to build Increment 1 production-representative test articles, with an aim to deliver more than 100 aircraft within the first five years of the initiative.
In May last year, ground evaluations began for the CCA programme as part of efforts to incorporate autonomous capabilities into future Air Force operations.
These tests are currently being conducted on production-representative vehicles from General Atomics (YFQ-42A) and Anduril Industries (YFQ-44A).
