Tethered.

This is coolbert:

"In artificial intelligence (AI), collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) are robotic loyal wingmen [unmanned warplanes] . . . The uncrewed CCAs represent a class of aircraft which are meant to collaborate with the crewed Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) aircraft."

From Air & Space Forces Magazine ^ | 27 Mar 2023 | John A. Tirpak

"Part-Time Wingmen: Collaborative Combat Aircraft* (CCA) Won’t Always Be ‘Tethered’ to Crewed Platforms"

"Collaborative Combat Aircraft will be able to carry out missions without direction from crewed aircraft and may not always fly as their 'wingmen,' in order to maximize employment flexibility, Air Force leaders developing and testing the new platforms said March 27."

[....]

"Asked whether CCAs will be 'tethered' to crewed platforms or carry out their own missions without such pairings, Maj. Gen. R. Scott Jobe, Air Combat Command’s director of plans, programs. and requirements, replied 'Yes.'"

"In many cases, he said, 'we will tether, in terms of range and speed and payloads and capabilities. And in other areas, we will untether in terms of geographic location [and] mission generation' to complicate an enemy’s targeting scheme."

TETHERED YES BUT NOT ENTIRELY 100 % SO DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

See all prior blog entries the loyal wingman combat aviation concept:

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/12/taxi.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/12/hunter-b.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/08/x-ex.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2020/03/valkyrie.html

https://militaryanalysis.blogspot.com/2019/07/lanca.html

coolbert.