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We have long discussed the compelling case for the U.S. Air Force’s new F-15EX Eagle II to serve as a ‘drone controller’ for the service’s forthcoming Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Now, we have a first chance to see what that might look like for real, with one of the fighters operating alongside an MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone during the U.S.-led Valiant Shield 26 military exercise currently spanning the Indo-Pacific region.

The first photos of this combination were published on the official Facebook page of U.S. Pacific Command (PACAF). Taken over the Philippine Sea, PACAF says they demonstrate “the future of human-machine teaming in the theater.” The command adds: “Uncrewed systems act as a force multiplier, extending the reach and effectiveness of human pilots.”

No further details of the extent of the integration have so far been provided, but we had already highlighted how the MQ-28’s involvement in its first multinational large-force exercise provides an opportunity for just this kind of activity, in a high-end coalition environment.

The pairing of the F-15EX and the MQ-28 — both Boeing products — has appeared regularly in the company’s renderings, suggesting that the Eagle II has been earmarked for working with CCAs.

As long ago as our story that broke the news that the F-15EX was in the works, we laid out how it would be an ideal platform for drone control. Key factors in this respect include its two-person cockpit, generously proportioned cockpit displays, processing power, networking, easy adaptability, and long range.

Speaking to TWZ in 2024, Maj. Aaron “Kamikaze” Eshkenazi, an F-15EX pilot assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron “Skulls” at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, noted:

“There’s a lot of discussion about what potential applications we might have for the back seat [in the F-15EX]. Whether it’s the existing kind of weapon system operator [WSO] role, a cyber person, or an ABM [air battle manager]. All of those options are available, and it really depends upon those mission sets as we continue to expand into the future.”

While the WSO’s main role is to manage the weapon systems, as it is in the previous F-15E Strike Eagle, “We are looking at the role of the back seat [in the F-15EX] in terms of helping dictate the battlespace,” added Maj. Joshua “Viper” Judy, a WSO assigned to the 40th Flight Test Squadron, in the course of the same interview.

“Does this involve a command and control [C2] role, is it battle management, maybe a combination of things depending on the mission set — we’re talking about flying unmanned fighters out there,” Maj. Judy continued. “The whole goal of this airplane is to optimize both the front seat and the rear cockpit for whatever mission sets we’re executing as we continue to expand these roles in the future.”

At that time, CCA testing with the F-15EX was yet to begin, but Maj. Judy stressed that “from a WSO perspective, having that large area display [LAD] and customizable screens makes for much easier data synthesis compared to the F-15E with its four screens with 1980s-era monochrome. Having that additional situational awareness from the LAD and being able to customize the information that is being displayed to me is helpful in pretty much every mission set that I can fly.”

There is also the specific relevance of the F-15EX as a drone controller in the Indo-Pacific theater.

The Air Force’s future CCAs will be especially needed in the Indo-Pacific, where the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force is rapidly growing in both size and capabilities.

Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the commander of Air Combat Command who was then-head of PACAF, said that the Air Force was “absolutely” considering fielding CCA drones at Kadena Air Base in Japan, where they would be a perfect adjunct to the co-located F-15EX fleet.

Meanwhile, having CCAs based at other locations in the region, but potentially still controlled by F-15EX fighters, would “complicate the battlespace and create chaos for your adversary,” Wilsbach added.

The decision to establish a permanent F-15EX presence in Japan likewise reflected how the aircraft’s specific capabilities are seen as hugely relevant in a potential future conflict with China.

A war of that kind would also see the Air Force rely heavily upon operations from austere airfields. This will be conducted under the Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept, something that is seen as fundamental to survival in a future conflict with China.

Reflecting this, Valiant Shield saw the MQ-28 involved in a proof-of-concept Forward Arming and Refueling Point (FARP) operation for CCAs at Rota, in the Northern Mariana Islands. Photos published by the Air Force showed the MQ-28 taking part alongside Air Force HC-130J Combat King II and HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue aircraft, members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and the Nellis-based Experimental Operations Unit.

It should also be recalled that the Air Force’s new CCA drones are being developed from the ground up around concepts for distributed and disaggregated operations.

The Air Force has test units already set up to explore how to use CCAs operationally, including under the ACE concept of operation. These kinds of trials are now also involving the first two Air Force Increment 1 CCAs, with the YFQ-44 Fury ‘fighter drone’ prototype having been tested out of Edwards Air Force Base, California, helping to demonstrate how CCAs can be deployed and sustained in contested environments.

The new photos showing the F-15EX and MQ-28 operating together in a major multinational exercise are significant in that they provide a glimpse of how future Air Force operations will team crewed combat jets with CCA adjuncts.

There are still questions around it, however. We lack any information on whether the F-15EX was connected to the MQ-28 in Valiant Shield, and to what degree autonomous teaming software was being exercised. It could be they simply flew in formation for a photo op, or they could have been doing more extensive testing. After all, Valiant Shield is known for proof-of-concept trials of this kind.

We also don’t know whether any weapons-related missions were performed. At least one end-to-end weapons trial involving the MQ-28 has already taken place, with an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) having been launched from one of the drones during Trial Kareela at RAAF Base Woomera, South Australia, late last year.

At the very least, this part of Valiant Shield represents an important step from the previous concept art of the F-15EX collaborating with the MQ-28 and toward operational experimentation.

The F-15EX is currently on something of a high, with the Air Force’s budget for the 2027 Fiscal Year outlining a massive boost for the program, with the planned buy now reportedly standing at 267 jets. This comes after the aircraft excelled in its Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) program, as you can read about here.

As for the MQ-28, a CCA like this would be exactly the kind of system that could expand F-15EX’s sensor reach, weapons carriage, and tactical options, including via its infrared search and track (IRST) sensor, seen fitted during Valiant Shield. The drone has been flying in Australia since 2021, and the RAAF has received eight Ghost Bats in the pre-production Block 1 configuration.

Boeing is now building the first of a batch of nine Block 2 drones for the RAAF, which will provide a stepping stone to the fully operational Block 3 version. The Block 3 aircraft will have increased wingspan and payload, among other features. It will also have an internal weapons bay that can accommodate a single AMRAAM, two GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB), or equivalently sized stores.

On the U.S. side of the program, test flights of the MQ-28 have been conducted off the coast of southern California from the U.S. Navy’s base in Point Mugu. Boeing is also actively exploring potential export sales, with the Indo-Pacific having been identified as a key market.

If future testing progresses as expected, among its various roles, the F-15EX could well become an airborne command node directing multiple autonomous CCAs, greatly increasing the combat capability of each crewed aircraft and the Air Force as a whole.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

HE stands to inherit his late dad Liam Payne’s £21million fortune, but nine-year-old Bear might not see a penny until he is at least 25.

His mum Cheryl Tweedy wants the legacy to be withheld until the lad is old enough to make informed financial decisions.

She has gone all out to protect their son since he was born in 2017, shielding him from the public eye in a bid to give him as normal a childhood as possible.

And she is keen not to expose him to the pressures of having such huge wealth at his young age.

One Direction star Liam died suddenly in October 2024 without leaving a will, and Cheryl quickly doubled down on her determination to protect her son from the trappings of fame and fortune.

High Court probate documents published over the weekend confirmed Bear is the sole beneficiary of his father’s fortune.

Parts of the estate — which includes the five-bedroom home at Chalfont St Giles, Bucks, that Liam bought for £3.25million in 2021 to be closer to his son following his split from Cheryl — can be used immediately to look after Bear’s needs.

However, Cheryl, who was named an administrator of Liam’s assets last year, would prefer he does not gain full access until he is much older.

“Protecting Bear is Cheryl’s priority in life,” a friend explained. “She is a devoted mother and will do everything she can to take care of him.

“Cheryl knows how difficult it can be to live in the public eye and has shielded Bear from that as much as she can.

“Inheriting this amount of money at a young age is enough to have the potential to send anyone sidewards — and that is what she wants to protect Bear from.

“She is going to stop him receiving Liam’s inheritance until he is at least 25 years old, if not older.

“For Cheryl, she feels that she wants Bear to be of an age where he can make informed decisions about the money.”

Cheryl and Liam first met when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008 and she was on the judging panel.

It was not until 2016 that they started dating, and Bear was born the following year.

Their relationship ended in 2018, with Cheryl and Liam becoming devoted co-parents to their young son.

In a statement following their break-up, Liam wrote online: “We still have so much love for each other as a family.

“Bear is our world and we ask that you respect his privacy as we navigate our way through this together.”

In the years that followed, Liam regularly praised Cheryl’s ability as a mother and revealed she had stayed at home with their son while he pursued his solo music career.

He said of the former Girls Aloud star: “What I’ve learnt about being a dad is how hard it is to be a mum and she hasn’t had any help from anybody and she’s done it all herself.

“She supported me going off and doing my career and stuff. She is amazing.”

Cheryl, too, spoke fondly of Liam and revealed becoming a mother had changed the way she wanted to live her life. She said in 2019: “Everything changed for me from the moment Bear was born.

“My old brain came out of my head, and all my worries, anxieties and feelings of emptiness went, and a new brain replaced it.

“I knew the word ‘fulfilled’, but I’d never known what that felt like.

“Money, fame, success should have made me feel that, but they never did, which is probably why I looked for it in my relationships with men, but that never worked either.

“I was always angry at myself.

“And then, even though I’d had a really tough pregnancy because I had gestational diabetes, I felt more peaceful. The moment I held him in my arms I had that feeling: Fulfilment. It’s stayed with me. And I’ve changed so much. I really have.”

Together, Cheryl and Liam chose to keep their son out of the spotlight and, to date, the schoolboy is rarely seen.

Last month, Cheryl revealed she had taken him on a dream holiday to Orlando, Florida, but chose not to post in real time about their trip on social media.

She also continued to keep his face shielded from view, a decision she made with Liam when Bear was still a small child.

A friend explained: “Giving her son a normal and happy childhood is what Cheryl remains focused on.

“She wants him to have a life that other kids have. His parents might have been public figures, but Bear is not. Keeping that normality and stability for her son is paramount for Cheryl.

“It’s why the idea of him inheriting such a vast amount of money is worrying. Not everyone in this world has good intentions and Cheryl knows that.

“She wants him to still have ambition and the drive to succeed without the back-up of the money — and she’s aware that people may want to befriend him because they are aware of his situation.

“Guiding her son and controlling his access to the money will allow her to keep him safe. The older he is, the more wise he will be and, ultimately, when he is a man in his twenties with a job and a life of his own, he will be better able to make informed decisions with her guidance.

“It is all any mother would want for their child.”

Liam’s passing at the age of 31, friends say, only fuelled Cheryl’s determination to allow their son to live a normal life.

The singer fell to his death from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 2024.

An autopsy confirmed he died from multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding.

He had been with his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in the days leading up to the tragedy. She left the country to return to the house they shared in the US days before Liam died. Two men were arrested on suspicion of supplying him with cocaine before his death.

Liam’s body was repatriated to the UK for his funeral in Amersham, Bucks, which was attended by his closest friends and family.

Cheryl was supported by her former Girls Aloud bandmates Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, as well as Liam’s friend and former mentor Simon Cowell.

Liam’s One Direction bandmate and close friend Niall Horan spent time with him in Argentina prior to his death after Liam flew there to watch him perform.

Three weeks ago, he spoke movingly about Liam and said he will cherish their last meeting. Niall revealed: “I’m glad of that, it means my last memory of him was happy. It still feels surreal.

“On day one I was, like, ‘Nah, it didn’t happen’. Our friendship was a bond that was there for ever, even if we hadn’t seen each other for a while.

“And it’s wild that one day, like the flick of a switch, he’s gone.

“All our families are in touch, they shared those experiences, too.”

Recalling the good times he shared with Liam, Niall added: “When I think of Liam’s passing, there is sadness, but it also makes me laugh because of the memories we had.

“I’ll go to places and think of something random that makes me laugh.”

Niall joined One Direction stars Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik at the funeral.

In the days before the service, Cheryl issued a statement about Liam, saying: “As I try to navigate this earth-shattering event, and work through my own grief at this indescribably painful time, I’d like to kindly remind everyone that we have lost a human being.

“Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our son.

“A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.”

She added: “Before you leave comments or make videos, ask yourself if you would like your own child or family to read them.

“Please give Liam the little dignity he has left in the wake of his death to rest in some peace at last.”

Since then, friends say Cheryl has devoted her time to caring for Bear and is determined to give him stability.

“Cheryl loves being a mum and doing all the normal things that parents do,” a pal explained.

“The school drop-off and pick-up, play dates with friends, cooking the dinners — she does it all while juggling work commitments.

“Cheryl knows there will be interest around Bear because of who his parents are. But that doesn’t mean he has to live that life — or even have any part in it. Protecting him from that and caring for him is all she cares about.

“She is a mother first and foremost. Her son will always be her number one priority.”

SACRAMENTO — The debate over immigration issues has reached a fever pitch nationwide, and Angelica Salas said it’s putting her employees at risk.

Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said her staff experiences harassment and death threats.

“They ask themselves, what if someone who disagrees with our work can find where I live, will my family be safe?” Salas said, addressing state lawmakers at a recent legislative hearing.”People begin to self-censor; they step away from their work and some leave the field entirely.”

Salas was speaking in support of Assembly Bill 2624, which would provide privacy protections for those facing harassment for working or volunteering with organizations that offer legal and humanitarian aid to immigrants. The bill would create an address confidentiality program, like the one already offered to reproductive healthcare workers, and prohibit people and businesses from selling or posting images or personal information about the protected individuals on the internet.

The measure has drawn ire from Republicans, who argue it could have a chilling effect on free speech and the media. Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) dubbed it the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” and said it would prevent right-wing social media influencers like Shirley from conducting immigrant-related investigations in California.

Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), who authored the legislation, said the proposed law would help keep people safe — but several 1st Amendment experts this week told The Times the bill could have unintended consequences.

“There could be grounds for concern,” said Jason Shepard, a media law and communications professor at California State Fullerton. “It reflects a legitimate and important state interest in protecting people from harassment and threats. But at the same time, this bill punishes the publication of information.”

The legislation defines “personal information” as anything that identifies, describes or relates to the protected individuals, including their names, addresses, telephone numbers, physical descriptions, driver’s licenses, financial information, license plate numbers and places of employment.

Shepard said the potential new law could be applied unevenly, and the language could have a chilling effect on investigative journalism.

Given the polarized political environment, Shepard said the legislation also could prompt other groups to request similar protections, as those working in a range of professions are facing increasingly heated rhetoric or attacks.

“This is not unique to people who are working in immigration support services; this really could apply to anybody engaged in public debate today,” he said.

Carolyn Iodice, the policy director for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, known as FIRE, said the organization has noted an uptick in laws nationwide implementing privacy protections for those in certain professions.

She pointed to a statute enacted a few years ago in New Jersey that protects the addresses of judges, prosecutors and police officers. The law was used in 2023 to block an editor with New Brunswick Today from publishing an article about the police chief living two hours outside of the city.

“It was obviously newsworthy, but this officer was able to wield the law against this journalist, and that is the kind of thing we are worried about,” Iodice said. “When you think about handing what could be a huge number of people the ability to just block anything from being posted about them online — it could easily be abused.”

David Loy, the legal director for the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition, said the measure would censor the free speech of all citizens, not just those who defamed or threatened immigrant aid workers.

“Someone might have a legitimate dispute with them and wants to refer to it online,” he said. “But they could then basically silence [that person] from referring to them on a Yelp review or Facebook posts that has nothing to do with threatening them — and that is going way beyond the narrow exceptions of the 1st Amendment.”

Loy said the coalition reached out to Bonta’s office and hopes to help tweak the bill.

Meanwhile, the legislation continues to face scrutiny from Republicans.

“We exposed CA Democrats for the ‘Stop Nick Shirley’ Act that silences citizen journalists who expose their fraud and corruption,” DiMaio wrote this week on social media.

Shirley released a viral video last year alleging fraud in Somali-run immigrant daycare centers in Minneapolis. He recently shared videos of himself in Sacramento confronting Democrats who support Bonta’s bill.

“The enemy is truly within,” Shirley wrote on Instagram. “When our politicians would rather protect fraudsters and illegal migrants, it’s time for us to stand up or face mass oppression from the traitors.”

Bonta dismissed the assertion that the bill is intended to deter journalists, stating in a news release that “right-wing agitators” and “ineffective legislators” were intentionally spreading misinformation.

Bonta spokesperson Daniel McGreevy said the bill has a straightforward goal of protecting immigrant service providers. He said the office is working to refine the legislation to address concerns and welcomes good-faith dialogue.

The bill is progressing through the state Legislature and most recently was referred to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.