Defense & Military
GA-ASI and Tactical Air Support Validate CCA Open Architecture
GA-ASI and Tactical Air Support fused passive sensor data between a manned F-5 and unmanned CCA using USAF open architecture standards.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and Tactical Air Support, Inc. successfully fused passive sensor data between a manned fighter and an unmanned test aircraft to track and engage airborne targets during a July 21, 2026, large force exercise.
In a press release issued on September 15, 2026, GA-ASI confirmed the flight test demonstrated Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Multi-Ship Ranging (MSR). The exercise proved that platforms built by different companies can share targeting data using government-standard open architectures, directly supporting U.S. Air Force (USAF) efforts to eliminate proprietary vendor lock in future autonomous fleets.
Validating open architecture for Collaborative Combat Aircraft
The July 21 Test-Flights paired a manned F-5 Advanced Tiger, operated by Tactical Air Support, with an unmanned Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) test aircraft developed by GA-ASI. Both aircraft were equipped with GA-ASI’s TacACE® software, a Tactical Autonomy Ecosystem designed to comply with emerging military software standards.
The test directly applied the Agile Mission Suite Government Reference Architecture (AMS-GRA) and the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA). The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) publicly released these standards on July 28, 2026, to establish a modular, open-systems approach for acquiring and upgrading weapon systems. Throughout 2026, the USAF has actively validated the A-GRA standard across multiple vendor platforms to ensure mission Software can be decoupled from specific vehicle hardware.
By utilizing these government reference architectures, the GA-ASI and Tactical Air Support platforms successfully communicated and shared sensor data without relying on a single manufacturer’s proprietary network.
“With this flight, we moved beyond simply flying an autonomous jet and showed how a manned fighter and an autonomous CCA can work together to find, track, and engage a target using passive sensors and shared autonomy,” said Michael Roberts, Advanced Programs Emerging Technology Director at GA-ASI.
Passive sensing and Beyond Line of Sight integration
The exercise focused on closing the kill chain against airborne adversaries using passive sensors, which allow aircraft to detect and track targets without emitting Radar-Systems that could reveal their own positions. The IRST MSR capability enabled the manned F-5 and the unmanned CCA to triangulate target data collaboratively.
To achieve this, the aircraft utilized a Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) data link, ensuring the platforms could maintain human-machine teaming and share high-fidelity targeting information over extended distances.
Roberts noted that the successful integration of these systems marks a critical step in the development of the CCA program. “This is the kind of operationally relevant mission that will allow autonomous CCAs to deploy alongside manned aircraft and deliver real combat capability for the warfighter,” Roberts said. He added that the flight test confirms the CCA solution’s readiness for production.
AirPro News analysis
The successful demonstration of IRST Multi-Ship Ranging between a manned F-5 and an unmanned CCA test aircraft highlights a pivotal shift in defense procurement and operational tactics. By proving that platforms from different Manufacturers can seamlessly fuse sensor data using the A-GRA and AMS-GRA standards, the industry is moving closer to the USAF’s vision of a highly modular, interchangeable autonomous fleet.
For decades, military aviation has been constrained by vendor lock, where purchasing a specific aircraft meant committing to that manufacturer’s proprietary software and communication links. The July 21 exercise demonstrates that decoupling the Automation software from the air vehicle hardware is not just a theoretical acquisition strategy, but a functional operational reality. As the USAF continues to refine its CCA requirements, the ability to integrate passive sensors across disparate platforms via government-owned architectures will likely become a baseline requirement for future defense contracts, fostering a more competitive and agile industrial base.
Photo Credit: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.