US Air Force tests flights with AI as pilot

The US Air Force says it has conducted twelve test flights, in which all pilot work, including combat operations, was carried out by software. The tests should lead to more AI assistance in airborne combat.

It involves a combination of various systems, the US Air Force says. The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Autonomous Air Combat Operations system conducted one-on-one combat against an opponent out of sight. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Air Combat Evolution conducted dogfights with other AI systems in view.

The flights of the X-62A Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft, or VISTA, were real, but the battles obviously were not. All flights had a human pilot to intervene if things went wrong. In addition, employees could adjust the systems within minutes to make the AI ​​systems respond differently.

The experiments should lead to better AI support for pilots in the air or even eventually to autonomous flying systems. A regular X-62 fighter plane was modified for this experiment.

X-62A Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft