Staff reporter

Central to the operation is a small, highly specialised team made up of Australia’s 114 Mobile Control and Reporting Unit and the US 552nd Air Control Wing, working together in real time to coordinate air operations across the battlespace.

The agreement will see the two organisations collaborate on the local delivery of ITPS training programs, jointly develop new aerospace and uncrewed training courses, and integrate Nova Systems’ advanced Test and Evaluation (T&E) training into the ITPS curriculum.

The display of interoperability in the Northern Territory signified the first time USAF pilots have flown fifth generation aircraft belonging to a partnered or allied nation.

In a live exercise involving the MQ-20 Avenger unmanned aircraft, the demonstration showcased real-time sensor fusion, distributed command and control (C2), and autonomous kill chain execution, including an autonomous beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) air-to-air engagement.

The event, overseen by Australian Aviation’s sister brand Defence Connect, was held at the National Convention Centre in Canberra on Thursday and run with support from principal partner, Commonwealth Bank.

Jack Miller’s aircraft stalled shortly after leaving the ground at Bacchus Marsh, north‑west of Melbourne, in October last year, before entering a vertical descent into the ground.