“You wear that under the underwear that comes out of the flight suit, which then connects to our pump system and controller that will pump the liquid out and away from the body into a collection bag,” according to an Air Force statement out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina.

In 2026, military pilots use specialized "in-flight bladder relief" systems, as fighter jet cockpits are too cramped for traditional bathrooms. Historically, pilots used "piddle packs"—plastic bags containing absorbent sponges or powder that turned liquid into gel. However, modern 2026 technology has transitioned toward more automated systems like "Skydrate." These wearable systems use a specially designed collection garment (a cup for men or a pad for women) connected to a battery-powered pump. When the pilot urinates, the sensor-activated pump instantly whisks the liquid away into a collection bag stored in a flight suit pocket. This is a critical safety advancement, as it prevents "tactical dehydration"—a dangerous practice where pilots avoid drinking water to bypass the need to urinate, which significantly increases the risk of G-force induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) and cognitive fatigue during long-duration missions.