DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program had the first-ever in-air tests of AI algorithms autonomously flying a fighter jet against a human-piloted fighter jet in within-visual-range combat scenarios (aka dogfighting). The General Dynamics X-62 VISTA (“Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft”) is an experimental aircraft, derived from the F-16D Fighting Falcon, which was modified as a joint venture between General Dynamics and Calspan for use by the United States Air Force (USAF
Team members discussed what makes the ACE program unlike other aerospace autonomy projects and how it represents a transformational moment in aerospace history, establishing a foundation for ethical, trusted, human-machine teaming for complex military and civilian applications.
In flight, the ACE AI algorithms controlled a specially modified F-16 test aircraft known as the X-62A, or VISTA (Variable In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft), at the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, where all demonstrations of autonomous combat maneuvers took place in 2023 and are continuing in 2024.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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Dang. That about 2700 jets on order at roughly $110M each. Roughly $300B, if I did the math right.
You did the math right.
Money Maker for the U.S. and its Allies who help build it.
The technology it developed is incredible.
In what circumstances are fighter jets relevant?
May as well build AI musketeers.
If you agree that some country will always want another country’s land or sea, air control/ access will always be a part of a coordinated defence/offence. I am not sure that having a better/bigger ‘drone swarm/ strike group’ alone will be enough to ensure defence/offence victory and denial/gain of land/sea areas.
If you were given a clean sheet of paper and told to build the best system or device for defeating fighter jets, would it look anything like a fighter jet with AI?
It feels like an effort to extend funding for an irrelevant technology.
Brian,
Do you still feel like the F-35 was a giant waste of money? My friends in Fort Worth swear there is nothing that can threaten it. It has air superiority advantages that blow China out of the water, little alone Russia. Foreign countries are placing orders left and right.
https://247wallst.com/special-report/2024/02/17/these-countries-are-buying-the-most-f-35-lightning-ii-fighter-jets/#:~:text=These%20Countries%20Are%20Buying%20the%20Most%20F-35%20Lightning,Flickr%20…%208%208.%20Romania%20…%20More%20items
When they were doing work on ALPHA and the recent virtual flyoffs with commercial AI’s vs a human in the connected simulator, the AI’s had a habit of focusing on “unsafe” movement that human pilots try to avoid in training environments (both real and virtual) that did not break the “rules”. Like straight up chicken runs face-to-face or similar.