DARPA also shared a 7-minute video on the social media platform, YouTube, highlighting in-air combat tests between AI and human-piloted F-16s.
DARPA’s venture into AI integration, initiated in December 2022 as part of its Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program, has yielded remarkable results. Through meticulous experimentation, DARPA engineered an AI system capable of autonomously piloting a fighter jet while adhering to stringent Air Force safety protocols.
Transitioning from simulations to real-world applications, DARPA installed its AI system in the experimental X-62A aircraft. This momentous step culminated in a successful in-air dogfight test against a human-controlled F-16 at Edwards Air Force Base in California, in September 2023.
Crucially, human pilots onboard the X-62A retained control authority, with the capability to disable the AI system if necessary. Yet, as DARPA reports, such intervention proved unnecessary throughout the encounter. The engagement showcased both aircraft executing “high-aspect nose-to-nose engagements,” closing in at speeds reaching 1,200 miles per hour within 2,000 feet.
Bill Gray, chief test pilot at the Air Force’s Test Pilot School, underscored the significance of this milestone, saying, “Dogfighting was the problem to solve so we could start testing autonomous artificial intelligence systems in the air,” The Verge reported. He said that the insights gained from these endeavors extend far beyond dogfight scenarios, informing the potential of autonomous systems across various tasks.
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