BOEING TESTS A SQUADRON OF FIVE AUTONOMOUS MINI-JETS: “The aircraft operated as a team without any intervention required from humans. Testing was conducted at the Queensland Flight Test Range in Cloncurry, Australia. It demonstrated the aircraft’s ability to use onboard command and control along with data sharing capabilities, allowing collaboration amongst the squadron.”

Background on the “loyal wingman” program here.

Suffice it to say, a handful of semi-autonomous loyal wingmen fighting alongside each piloted jet would be a great force multiplier. UAV wingmen could act as scouts, missile trucks, “attritable” ground strike bombers, or even as kamikazes against antiaircraft missiles targeted at the piloted aircraft.