US Air Force conducts first human Vs AI aerial dogfight
- In Reports
- 07:41 PM, Apr 22, 2024
- Myind Staff
The US military conducted a groundbreaking test, where they pitted a manned jet against an artificial intelligence-controlled F-16. The AI-controlled aircraft, known as the Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) or F-16D X-62A, engaged in an in-air dogfight last year.
The update regarding this test was recently released by the US Air Force and the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The US military stated that the tests demonstrated the potential transformation of fighter aircraft engagement in warfare through machine learning.
The US Air Force conducted a pioneering test, where a manned jet was pitted against an AI-controlled F-16 aircraft. The AI-controlled aircraft, referred to as the Variable-stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) or F-16D X-62A, engaged in an aerial dogfight last year. The update on this test was recently disclosed by the US Air Force and the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA stated that the test demonstrated how AI has the potential to revolutionise the engagement of fighter jets in warfare.
According to The Verge, DARPA began experimenting with AI in December 2022 as part of its Air Combat Evolution (ACE) programme, aiming to develop an AI system capable of autonomously piloting a fighter jet. During the September 2023 dogfight, humans were present onboard the X-62A with controls to deactivate the AI, although the kill switch was not required "at any point".
DARPA reported that both aircraft engaged in high-aspect nose-to-nose manoeuvres and approached as close as 2,000 feet at speeds of 1,200 miles per hour. However, DARPA did not disclose the outcome of the dogfight.
Bill Gray, the chief test pilot at the Air Force's Test Pilot School, stated, "Dogfighting was the problem to solve so we could start testing autonomous artificial intelligence systems in the air. Every lesson we're learning applies to every task you could give to an autonomous system."
The ACE programme, initiated in December 2022, has conducted 21 test flights, resulting in over 100,000 lines of flight-critical software changes, as per Newsweek.
Frank Kendall, secretary of the US Air Force, informed the US Senate of their plans to launch "an autonomously flown F-16 later this year," where a pilot would be merely an observer as the technology operates. "Hopefully, neither he nor I will be needed to fly the airplane," Kendall remarked.
Image source: Reuters
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