The United States Air Force (USAF) is carrying out a series of tests using artificial intelligence (AI). One of the most important events involved a F-16 fighter experimental, which was piloted by an AI and won an aerial combat exercise against another F-16, piloted by a human. 

Coordinated by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the USAF Test Pilot School (TPS), the successful test is a significant milestone in the field of aerospace machine learning. The flight, part of the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program, took place in September 2023, but was only announced by DARPA last Wednesday (17). 

At the event, the agency and TPS used the X-62 VISTA, a specially modified F-16, to test the AI's capabilities in a simulated aerial combat against another F-16, piloted by a human. The Dogfight test – close aerial combat – initially began with defensive maneuvers, focusing first on the safety of the event. By that measure, the X-62 was also crewed by humans, but was completely commanded by artificial intelligence. In case of problems, pilots could disable the AI ​​and take control of the X-62. 

The complexity then increased for offensive maneuvers, culminating in high-speed crossings, “where aircraft were at a distance of up to 2.000 feet while traveling at 1.900 miles per hour,” DARPA explains. The fight between the X62 and the F-16 was an achievement and a major advance for the application of machine learning in flight-critical aerospace systems.

Typically used to simulate the flight characteristics of other aircraft, the X-62A VISTA served as a test platform for real-time integration and testing of AI agents. The system used non-deterministic algorithms, which allowed continuous adaptation and decision-making in real time during the aerial duel. 

“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream until now. In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a moment of transformation, all made possible by the revolutionary achievements of the X-62A ACE team,” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. DARPA says that kendall "will soon fly the X-62A VISTA to personally witness AI in a simulated combat environment during an upcoming test flight at Edwards.”

Although aerial combat was an important and challenging test, it is not yet the program's ultimate goal. ACE's success paves the way for broader applications of AI across multiple aerospace sectors, including commercial and defense operations.

“It is very easy to look at the X-62A ACE program and see it as being under autonomous control. He can fight, but that's not the main thing. Dogfights were the problem to be solved so we could start testing autonomous artificial intelligence systems in the air. Every lesson we learn applies to every task you could assign to an autonomous system.”, said Bill Gray, the school's chief test pilot.

Learnings from the ACE program will be instrumental in developing future AI-powered systems for aerospace applications. The X-62A VISTA remains a valuable research platform while also training the next generation of test pilots equipped to handle AI integration in aviation.