In an early-October test, a Raptor pilot sent high-level tactical commands that the Fury’s autonomy software turned into dynamic maneuvers and simulated combat tasks. The Air Force plans to pair CCAs first with the F-22 as Increment 1 heads toward production, under a revised goal of 500 aircraft by 2032.

The company-funded aircraft taxied, took off, maneuvered and landed without a pilot at Mojave Air and Space Port, with the flight announced Oct. 3. Northrop says the redesign uses about half as many parts and is roughly 1,000 pounds lighter, though there is no announced Air Force production commitment.

The Low Cost ISR Challenge seeks mass-producible surveillance aircraft with roughly 3-to-12-hour and 12-plus-hour endurance that can operate without established airfields. Two fly-offs are planned, and up to $250 million more is budgeted for follow-on development and production, though that money is not guaranteed.