XQ-67A Autonomous Collaborative Platform Flies at Nevada Test Range

The Air Force Research Laboratory and Air Combat Command’s Experimental Operations Unit conducted an XQ-67A flight at the Nevada Test and Training Range, reported as completed November 3, 2026. The teams flew the autonomous aircraft as part of the Demonstration of ACP Performance and Effectiveness project, known as Demon APE.

Key details

• The flight involved integrated sensors, mission computing equipment, and power and thermal management systems.
• Beyond-line-of-sight datalinks and live, virtual, and constructive simulations supported coordination of unmanned platforms across separated areas.
• GA-ASI first flew the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station in February 2024.
• AFRL conducted an XQ-67A flight test in California’s High Desert in July 2025, using government-owned autonomy and an active tactical datalink for mission execution and coordination between crewed and uncrewed systems.

The XQ-67A demonstration used beyond-line-of-sight datalinks to coordinate unmanned platforms across separated areas.

Why it matters

Demon APE is intended to accelerate the development and delivery of autonomous platforms. The demonstration combined onboard systems with datalinks and simulations designed to support command and control across dispersed operational zones.