Air Force making gains in artificial intelligence with AI-piloted F-16 flight

May 4, 2024

47 2 minutes read

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The U.S. Air Force gamed a dogfight between a human-driven F-16 fighter jet and an artificial intelligence-controlled F-16 — with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall riding in the front seat.

The Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft, or VISTA, X-62A, previously broke a record in February 2023, when it flew for 17 hours straight — entirely powered by AI. Cementing its reliability, the aircraft not only simulated a dogfight with a friendly pilot but performed the feat with the Air Force’s most valuable member in the cockpit. The performance is being hailed as a breakthrough in aviation history.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall puts on his helmet on the front cockpit of a X-62A VISTA aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The AI-controlled F-16, called VISTA, flew Kendall in maneuvers that put 5Gs of pressure on his body at speeds exceeding 550 miles an hour. It went nose to nose with the adversary F-16 as both aircraft raced within 1,000 feet of each other, twisting and looping to try force their opponent into vulnerable positions. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now. In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a transformational moment, all made possible by breakthrough accomplishments of the ACE team,” Kendall said.

An AI-enabled Air Force F-16 fighter jet, left, flies next to an adversary F-16, as both aircraft race within 1,000 feet of each other, trying to force their opponent into vulnerable positions, on Thursday, May 2, 2024, above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

VISTA came within 1,000 feet of the human-piloted aircraft, performing sharp maneuvers at over 55 miles per hour. Kendall and the safety pilot didn’t touch the controls the entire flight.

After landing, Kendall stressed the importance of leaning into the technology, telling the Associated Press that it was “a security risk not to have it.”

According to Politico, AI-controlled aircraft is the biggest breakthrough in aviation since the introduction of stealth technology in the 1990s. The Air Force plans to operate 1,000 AI-controlled aircraft, with the first entering service in 2028, especially as the possibility of war with China grows.

The flight occurred at Edwards Air Force Base, the place where Chuck Yeager made aviation history by being the first pilot to break the sound barrier on Oct. 14, 1947.

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VISTA is a modified F-16D Block 30 Peace Marble II designed for the U.S. Air Force by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, working with in collaboration with Calspan Corporation. New upgrades have allowed it to develop rapidly.

“VISTA will allow us to parallelize the development and test of cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques with new uncrewed vehicle designs,” Dr. M. Christopher Cotting, director of research at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, said last year. “This approach, combined with focused testing on new vehicle systems as they are produced, will rapidly mature autonomy for uncrewed platforms and allow us to deliver tactically relevant capability to our warfighter.”

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May 4, 2024

47 2 minutes read