US puts jet-drone teams to bigger test in race with China for air supremacy
American air force fighters work with uncrewed Valkyries to see how well they integrate
Amber Wangin Beijing
Published: 6:00am, 12 Jul 2025Updated: 6:25am, 12 Jul 2025
The US military has raised the difficulty level with a coordination test of its crewed fighters and “loyal wingman” drones as it races against China towards the next frontier of air dominance.
Chinese military observers said the People’s Liberation Army was matching the United States in this technology.
The Air Force Research Laboratory said earlier this month that pilots operating an F-16C Fighting Falcon and an F-15E Strike Eagle each controlled two XQ-58A Valkyrie drones in an air combat training exercise.
The exercise was a test of real-time integration between crewed and semi-autonomous systems, according to the laboratory, which is the US Air Force’s main scientific research and development centre.
Built by defence firm Kratos, the drone first flew in 2019 as part of the air force’s push to explore the “loyal wingman” concept in which uncrewed aircraft are directed by crewed fighters.
While the Valkyrie has previously flown with different types of crewed fighters, analysts said the most recent test was more complex, with a formation that could be scaled up.
“This kind of simulated combat drill is a logical next step, given that the Valkyrie has been flying for quite a while now,” said Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation analyst.
“Commanding and controlling two drones at once raises the difficulty substantially – it demands more attention from the pilot, greater tactical judgment, and the ability to maintain broader battlefield awareness.
“We are also working on similar technologies in China, although there has been little public reporting on it. China’s loyal wingman drones capabilities are on par with the United States.”
The US Air Force described the exercise as a “major leap” in human-machine teaming, referring to the Valkyries as “autonomous collaborative platforms”. The goal is to integrate such platforms into future air combat scenarios, reducing pilot workload while improving situational awareness and combat effectiveness.
The Valkyrie is a low-cost, long-range, high-speed drone designed for a variety of missions including strike, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance, electronic warfare, decoy operations, and communications relay, according to media reports.
As early as 2020, an F-22 Raptor and an F-35A Lightning II were seen flying in formation with a Valkyrie.
The Valkyrie is a low-cost, long-range, high-speed drone designed for a variety of missions. Photo: Air Force Research Laboratory
In 2024, the US Marine Corps tested the Valkyrie in a loyal wingman role alongside their F-35B stealth fighters. The drone also proved its ability to launch smaller uncrewed systems during another test.
The drone is 30 feet (9.1 metres) long with a 27-foot wingspan; and has a dry weight of 2,500lbs (1.13 tonnes), a Mach 0.72 cruise speed, and a maximum range of about 3,000 nautical miles, according to media reports.
Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said such tests showed how drones, under the control of crewed fighters, could effectively extend the operational reach of crewed aircraft.
“This is essentially a method to extend the combat radius of a fighter jet by using drones under its control,” Song said.
“China’s newest fighter jets already have this ability,” he said, adding that teaming with drones was becoming standard for both fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft.
Earlier this month, new images of China’s two-seat variant of the J-20 stealth fighter emerged online. Defence watchers say the second seat is intended for a mission systems officer to control loyal wingman drones.
State broadcaster CCTV has shown footage of the J-20 flying in formation with three GJ-11 stealth drones – evidence that China is actively experimenting with crewed-uncrewed teaming.
Song added that China’s sixth-generation fighters, which reportedly made their first flights late last year and have since undergone multiple rou