US Air Force Fires Live Missile from CCA Loyal Wingman Drone for First Time

US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach has confirmed to defense publication Breaking Defense that the Air Force has successfully completed a historically significant test — firing a live weapon from a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) loyal wingman drone for the first time.

"It wasn't just an AMRAAM that came off," Wilsbach said. "It was tracking a target."

The test marks a critical step forward in the US Air Force's development of unmanned wingman combat capabilities. The CCA program aims to develop autonomous drones capable of operating alongside crewed fighter aircraft, with Anduril and General Atomics competing to develop the platform.

The AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) is the US military's primary active air-to-air missile. Successfully launching the weapon from an unmanned loyal wingman and achieving target tracking demonstrates that the CCA drone's weapons integration has reached an operationally viable level, with far-reaching implications for future air combat concepts.

This breakthrough test result is expected to accelerate the US Air Force's development and deployment timeline for the CCA program.

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