Air Force Secretary to pilot AI‑driven F‑16, marking a new era in military aviation
Speaking before American senators, Frank Kendall, the Secretary of the Air Force of the USA, announced his plan to fly in a newly configured F-16 fighter jet that will be controlled by artificial intelligence. According to The Aviationist, Kendall volunteered for this experience to personally assess the performance of the new autonomous technology in the air.
12 April 2024 12:57
"This year, I will fly in an autonomous F-16," said Frank Kendall. He further explained, "There will be a pilot with me, who, like me, will simply be observing how well the autonomous technology operates. I hope neither of us will be needed to fly the plane." The Aviationist reports that this eagerly anticipated flight is scheduled to happen this spring.
Americans place their bets on drones
The testing of autonomous drones is a part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) project. This initiative envisions that in the future, the U.S. Army might deploy many autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles to work alongside fifth or sixth-generation fighters. These advanced fighters are being developed under another U.S. Air Force initiative—the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program.
The Aviationist recalls that the USAF plans to acquire 200 NGAD fighters and 1,000 CCA drones, which would serve as "loyal wingmen." Their roles are projected to include defending the advanced fighters and functioning as scouts or communication relays.
The Air Force Times highlights that this future drone fleet is being purposefully designed for future warfare operations, with a potential conflict with China in mind. Given Beijing's advancement in air defense systems, deploying manned aircraft into such environments poses significant risks.
The American approach leans towards breaching these defenses with autonomous machines, largely because drones are anticipated to be more cost-effective than developing new manned jet fighters. Kendall mentioned that each drone would likely cost about one-fourth to one-third of the current price of an F-35 fighter, which equates to roughly £15 million each. The exact appearance of the future American drone fleet remains to be detailed.
Autonomous F-16 to soon take to the skies
As reported by The Aviationist, Frank Kendall is expected to fly aboard the X-62A test aircraft. The service clarified that this aircraft is the newly designated name for the NF-16D VISTA (Variable In-flight Simulator Aircraft) operated by the USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. Originally an F-16D Block 30 Peace Marble II fighter, it has been upgraded with various modifications and improvements.
Journalist Norbert Garbarek from WP Tech has highlighted, referencing the Edwards Air Force Base portal in California, that this aircraft has distinguished itself in the military industry as the first to be piloted entirely by artificial intelligence. The breakthrough technology tested during its flight, which lasted over 17 hours, included the VISTA simulation system (VSS), the model following algorithm (MFA), and the autonomous control simulation system (SACS).
