Exclusive: U.S. Air Force Activates Experimental Operations Unit to Operationalize Collaboration Between Drones and Fighter Jets.

On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Air Force's 53rd Wing officially activated the Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) during a formal ceremony held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Formerly operating as a detachment since 2023, the EOU has now become a fully functional squadron-equivalent unit. This development marks a crucial milestone in advancing the Department of the Air Force’s strategy to operationalize Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) under Increment 1 by the end of the decade, representing a breakthrough in airpower projection through manned-unmanned teaming.
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U.S. Air Force Col. Joshua M. Biedermann, left, 53rd Test and Evaluation Group commander, passes the unit guidon to Lt. Col. Matthew W. Jensen, inaugural commander of the Experimental Operations Unit (EOU), during the EOU activation ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, June 5, 2025. (Picture source: U.S. Air Force)

The Experimental Operations Unit (EOU) is tasked with rapidly translating emerging air combat concepts into field-ready capabilities. It will focus on making uncrewed platforms such as the CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) not only technically mature but also tactically integrated from day one. By doing so, the unit ensures that future air combat systems are deployable, reliable, and immediately impactful. The EOU will lead efforts to simulate, test, and validate new doctrines that emphasize seamless collaboration between crewed fighter jets and autonomous platforms across multiple mission sets.

Collaborative Combat Aircraft are a cornerstone of the U.S. Air Force’s future force design. These uncrewed systems are being developed as cost-effective, versatile, and scalable force multipliers capable of operating alongside fifth-generation fighters such as the F-35 and F-22, and future sixth-generation systems under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The CCA will leverage artificial intelligence and machine autonomy to conduct a wide range of missions, including electronic warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications relay, and even strike roles, depending on the operational need.

The CCA concept aims to enable one crewed aircraft to control and coordinate multiple CCA drones, forming a mission-focused team that distributes combat power, minimizes risk to human pilots, and increases overall survivability. These aircraft will operate on a spectrum from attritable (low-cost, limited-life platforms) to highly survivable drones equipped with advanced sensors and weapons. Their integration is intended to bring about “affordable mass”—a key objective in future air combat where quantity, adaptability, and mission responsiveness will be decisive against near-peer adversaries.

The activation of the EOU directly supports the vision articulated by U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, who prioritizes speed, agility, and innovation in force development. The CCA program is central to achieving the Air Force’s broader strategic goals of outpacing adversaries like China and Russia, who are rapidly expanding their own autonomous and unmanned aerial capabilities. By pioneering manned-unmanned teaming, the U.S. Air Force seeks to retain air superiority in future contested environments through distributed operations and increased operational complexity that adversaries will struggle to counter.

Within its mission scope, the EOU will conduct integrated testing through both virtual simulations and live-fly exercises. Working closely with the Virtual Warfare Center and the Joint Integrated Test and Training Center at Nellis AFB, the unit will explore tactics, techniques, and procedures for optimizing human-machine coordination. These experiments are vital to shaping future training, deployment, and command-and-control models that accommodate high-autonomy air platforms while preserving strategic human decision-making at critical moments.

Ultimately, the establishment of the EOU reflects a broader transformation of U.S. Air Force doctrine, acquisition, and operational thinking. It reinforces a shift from platform-centric planning to capability-centric development where networked, flexible, and adaptive systems like the CCA form the backbone of a resilient and responsive Joint Force. As the global threat environment evolves, the U.S. Air Force is sending a clear signal: the future of air combat will be defined by intelligent teaming, rapid innovation, and the decisive integration of autonomous systems into the combat edge.