On 18 January 2026, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced that its MQ-20 Avenger unmanned combat air vehicle had completed a new mission autonomy flight from San Diego featuring a live aerial intercept against a crewed aggressor aircraft. In this company-funded test, the jet-powered drone used a government reference autonomy stack to plan, execute and adapt its mission while managing air-to-air manoeuvres with minimal human input. The demonstration illustrates how quickly mission autonomy and sensor-driven decision-making are moving from simulation into realistic combat scenarios. The event, underscores the importance that industry and the U.S. Air Force now attach to collaborative autonomous combat aircraft. Read Full Defense News At This Link.
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| General Atomics has demonstrated a major leap in air combat autonomy after its MQ-20 Avenger drone successfully flew a live aerial intercept against a crewed aircraft with minimal human control (Picture Source: General Atomics) |