Semi-autonomous combat aircraft tested in U.S. Air Force distributed operations exerciseNewsDan Taylor Technology Editor Military Embedded SystemsU.S. Air Force YFQ-44A Fury aircraft (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Renee Blundon)CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada. The U.S. Air Force tested YFQ-44A Fury collaborative combat aircraft during an Agile Combat Employment exercise intended to develop operating procedures for semi-autonomous aircraft, the service announced in a statement. The Collaborative Combat Aircraft Experimental Operations Unit generated multiple sorties and assessed aircraft servicing, refueling, weapons loading, and relaunch procedures. The YFQ-44A aircraft also operated alongside crewed platforms in local airspace and participated in simulated scenarios intended to inform future collaborative combat aircraft requirements, according to the statement. Personnel from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center observed the exercise and collected data through a rapid operational-testing process, the service says.