Preliminary testing at the University of Iowa Operator Performance Laboratory helped pave the way for Lockheed Martin to demonstrate the ability to control unmanned aircraft from the cockpit of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the F-22 Raptor, according to a new report in The War Zone.

This is an important step as fighting forces work to integrate manned and unmanned aircraft in operations. 

Early phases of this project occurred at OPL where the team used surrogate aircraft to test crewed-uncrewed teaming. OPL's reputation partnering with private companies and the U.S. military to support advanced autonomy and drone development efforts has been well documented. 

In November 2024, Lockheed Martin notably announced it had conducted tests with OPL that saw a human controller in an L-39 Albatros jet use a touchscreen interface to order two L-29 Delfin jets, equipped with AI-enabled flight technology acting as surrogate drones, to engage simulated enemy fighters. This sounds very similar to the kind of control architecture the company says it has now demonstrated on the F-35.

Find the full article in The War Zone.