The U.S. Navy has successfully demonstrated a fully autonomous air defense mission using two BQM-177A jet targets at the Point Mugu Sea Range, marking a significant step toward operationalizing unmanned, mission-capable aircraft within manned-unmanned teaming constructs. The December 11 exercise linked live aircraft to a Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) environment, enabling a simulated F/A-18 fighter to serve as mission commander, directing the autonomous jets to defend assigned combat air patrol stations while virtual adversaries attempted to penetrate protected airspace. Navy officials described the event as a controlled but operationally realistic scenario designed to stress autonomous decision-making, all while keeping human operators outside the immediate tactical loop.
Unlike previous tests that largely focused on aircraft stability and flight envelope adherence, the Point Mugu event centered on tactical execution. A virtual F/A-18 acted as the mission lead, issuing defensive Combat Air Patrol (CAP) tasking to the two BQM-177A jets. As simulated enemy aircraft sought to breach the designated airspace, the autonomous drones maneuvered and responded in line with mission objectives without continuous pilot input. This transition—from direct remote piloting to high-level mission supervision—is a core development the Navy is now validating for its future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Officials emphasize that autonomy is now being trusted not just to fly but to fight within defined intent and operational constraints.
The demonstration was spearheaded by Program Executive Office (PEO) Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, in a tightly coordinated effort between PMA-208 Aerial Targets and PMA-281 Strike Planning and Execution Systems. The industrial architecture of the exercise mirrors how the Navy envisions scaling CCA capabilities. Shield AI acted as the lead systems integrator and mission autonomy provider, overseeing platform modifications, payload integration, and technical coordination. Kratos supplied the BQM-177A aircraft, while CTSI provided the mission planning tools and pilot-vehicle interface, translating commander intent into executable autonomous tasks.
The selection of the BQM-177A as an autonomy surrogate was deliberate. The aircraft is designed to replicate complex threat profiles, operating at jet speeds that stress decision-making under extreme conditions. Navy specifications indicate that the BQM-177A measures 194 inches in length, has an 84-inch wingspan, and weighs roughly 625 pounds empty, with a full-fuel weight just over 1,070 pounds. Capable of approaching Mach 0.9 at very low altitude, the platform offers minimal reaction time, leaving little margin for unstable control laws or indecisive logic. These characteristics make it an unforgiving but highly relevant testbed for mission autonomy in contested airspace.
At the heart of the operation was Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy, which functioned as a mission-level decision layer rather than a simple flight controller. In practice, the remote human operator’s role was reduced to safety oversight, while Hivemind handled perception, decision-making, and maneuver execution in response to evolving threats inside the LVC environment. Navy officials highlighted that this event marked the first time a fully autonomous aircraft executed a mission beyond the visual range of its operator—a critical milestone for autonomous mission planning and execution without persistent reliance on data-links.
Equally important for long-term fleet integration was progress on the Navy’s Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA). By implementing A-GRA interfaces during the demonstration, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) validated a modular approach designed to decouple mission autonomy from any single airframe or vendor ecosystem. This architecture reduces bespoke integration work, preserves vendor competition, and accelerates the fielding of new autonomous behaviors across different unmanned platforms. Such flexibility is seen as critical if CCA capabilities are to evolve at software speed rather than being tied to the slower pace of aircraft acquisition cycles.
The December event builds on an earlier flight conducted in August, which validated foundational advanced vehicle control laws and baseline autonomous behaviors for the BQM-177A. The Navy intentionally followed a phased approach: first ensuring safe autonomous control, then proving mission execution within a manned-unmanned team, and finally expanding toward higher-density scenarios with more complex tasking. Officials noted that the project progressed from contract award to live flight testing in roughly 16 months using agile acquisition methods, highlighting how autonomy development is now treated as an operational advantage rather than a traditional research program.
From an operational perspective, the implications for carrier aviation are substantial. A manned fighter acting as mission lead while autonomous aircraft defend airspace previews a future air wing in which reach, persistence, and tactical mass can be increased without proportionally increasing risk to pilots or consuming scarce fighter flight hours. Using high-performance surrogate platforms such as the BQM-177A allows the Navy to tighten the test-and-learn loop, exposing autonomy to real-world flight dynamics while preserving frontline assets for operational missions.
Further testing and fleet-relevant exercises are planned through 2026 and beyond. Future events are expected to increase operational tempo and introduce more complex mission constructs, testing the limits of autonomous decision-making under high-stress conditions. While the Point Mugu demonstration does not yet constitute a fully fielded CCA capability, it represents a foundational shift: autonomous jets are now being trusted to execute mission intent at speed within a contested air battle construct. This achievement signals a tangible step toward the Navy’s vision of a collaborative, software-defined carrier air wing.
Navy officials noted that the exercise also highlights broader trends in military aviation. As adversaries continue to invest in high-speed, low-observable, and highly maneuverable systems, the ability to leverage autonomy for defensive and offensive missions is increasingly critical. The use of autonomous platforms allows for faster decision loops, continuous mission coverage, and reduced risk to human operators, all of which are essential in future contested airspaces.
The integration of Hivemind autonomy within an LVC environment further demonstrates the potential of virtualized mission command. By allowing a simulated F/A-18 to issue tasking and dynamically adjust defensive strategies in real time, the Navy can test complex tactics without endangering manned aircraft. Such capabilities are expected to enhance training, tactics development, and operational planning for both manned and unmanned air assets.
Another notable aspect of the demonstration was the collaborative industrial model. By combining efforts from Shield AI, Kratos, CTSI, and multiple Navy program offices, the exercise exemplified the value of integrated development between government and private sector partners. This collaborative approach is seen as essential for scaling autonomy across a fleet of heterogeneous platforms, ensuring interoperability, and rapidly iterating on software-defined behaviors.
Looking ahead, the Navy plans to expand testing to include larger swarms of autonomous aircraft, multi-domain integration with surface and subsurface assets, and advanced electronic warfare scenarios. These exercises aim to ensure that mission autonomy is not only capable of executing individual tasks but can operate as part of a distributed, networked force, adapting to dynamic threats in real time.
In summary, the December 11 Point Mugu exercise represents a critical milestone in the U.S. Navy’s push toward operationalizing autonomous aircraft. By successfully demonstrating fully autonomous air defense using the BQM-177A, the Navy has shown that unmanned systems can execute mission-level intent under realistic operational conditions while under human oversight rather than direct control. This achievement lays the groundwork for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, signaling a future where carrier air wings integrate manned and autonomous platforms seamlessly, enhancing lethality, persistence, and survivability in contested environments.
With autonomy moving from experimental to operationally relevant, the Navy is effectively redefining the air battle landscape. By enabling aircraft to not only fly but make tactical decisions and react to threats autonomously, the service is charting a path toward a more capable, resilient, and software-driven carrier air wing—a development that could reshape air power for decades to come.
