General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) has successfully flown a MQ-20 Avenger equipped with US government-provided autonomy software, also known as a reference autonomy stack.
This marked a milestone in the development of uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAVs).
The flight, which took place from 19-21 February 2025, at Edwards Air Force Base in California, was part of the Orange Flag 25-1 test series.
Orange Flag 25-1 is part of the Orange Flag series, bringing together stakeholders to test advanced aerospace technologies in real-world scenarios.
This series is an initiative by the Air Force Test Center to evaluate aerospace technologies in a comprehensive operational setting.
The MQ-20 Avenger is a jet-powered uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) extensively used by GA-ASI as a developmental platform.
This demonstration featured the integration of a government-supplied pilot vehicle interface (PVI).
This interface facilitated seamless control and monitoring of the autonomous flight operations, particularly during air-to-air engagements.
Furthermore, GA-ASI showcased the capability of its UCAVs to switch between different autonomy systems mid-flight.
This was demonstrated over Proliferated Low Earth Orbit (PLEO) satellites using an autonomy product from Shield AI.
The Shield AI stack highlighted the UCAV's ability to autonomously manage the safe administrative phases of flight.
The flights at Orange Flag 25-1 underscored the versatility of GA-ASI aircraft, which can transition between company-developed, government-provided, and third-party vendor software as required.
This adaptability ensures that GA-ASI's UCAVs can receive rapid upgrades.
GA-ASI Advanced Programs vice-president Michael Atwood said: “This demonstration marks a significant achievement in our ongoing efforts to operationalise autonomy for UCAVs.
“Flying the government reference autonomy stack at Orange Flag 25-1 and utilising the government-provided PVI underscores our commitment to delivering robust and adaptable autonomy solutions for the warfighter. We especially appreciate and salute the support we received from the 309th Software Engineering Group.”
In addition, GA-ASI has been chosen by the US Air Force to build and fly the Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
