USAF Conducts Tests with AI-Piloted Fighter Jet

An X-62A VISTA experimental aircraft flown by AI had been pitted against a manned F-16 in various dogfight scenarios. Defense News reports that the prototype was tested in mock dogfights against the F-16 in various scenarios, including advantageous and disadvantageous positions. The fighter, flown by AI, flew aggressively at supersonic speeds as high as 1200 mph (about Mach 1.6). X-62A VISTA, based on the F-16 and a long-standing test aircraft for the USAF, has recently been fitted with AI systems for autonomous flight. The tests are planned to provide a baseplate and set of data for the large-scale CCA programme covering the development and acquisition of unmanned combat aircraft to accompany manned fighters. Unmanned combat aircraft theoretically have the advantage of not being affected by human factors such as G-limits and shortened reaction times. However, the technology isn’t expected to be fielded in the short term due to the ongoing development, training and exploration process. Another loyal wingman programme in the U.S. is DARPA’s LongShot, which aims to develop air-launched UAVs carrying air-to-air missiles to remotely or engage aircraft. Turkiye also uses unmanned combat aircraft technologies to perform air-to-air missions with Baykar’s KIZILELMA. KIZILELMA differs from previous designs with its fighter jet-like form and emphasis on high manoeuvrability thanks to canards and its layout. The platform’s full potential for air-to-air combat can be expected to emerge with the integration of radar, air-to-air missiles, B and C variants featuring higher thrust-to-weight ratios and Baykar’s further progress on AI systems.