Man vs Machine: Air Force & DARPA Conduct “Dogfight” – AI-Powered Jet vs Human Pilot

By Olawale Abaire, Warrior Editorial Fellow

In a groundbreaking event, an experimental jet, the X-62A VISTA, engaged in a simulated aerial duel with an F-16, marking the first instance of an AI-driven dogfight, as reported by the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This successful trial could pave the way for the Air Force to refine its strategy for autonomous drone wingmen, known as collaborative combat aircraft.

The X-62A VISTA, an acronym for Variable In-flight Simulator Aircraft, is a heavily modified F-16. For over three decades, this aircraft has been instrumental in testing advanced aerospace technology, with recent years seeing a focus on autonomous flight capabilities. DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program has spent the past four years honing the military’s use of AI in air warfare and fostering airmen’s trust in autonomous technology’s ability to perform safely and reliably in combat scenarios.

Until now, autonomy has been utilized for predictable flight aspects governed by a set of known rules, such as the Auto Ground Collision Avoidance System that prevents jets like the F-35 from crashing. However, within-visual range dogfighting, arguably the most dangerous and unpredictable form of flight a pilot can engage in, presents a new skill set for AI to master, according to Col. James Valpiani, commandant of the Air Force Test Pilot School.

The ACE program initially had AI agents control simulated F-16s in computerized dogfights. These AI-operated simulated F-16s achieved a five-for-five victory against human pilots, as per a video posted online by DARPA. However, these AI agents were not yet trained to adhere to safety guidelines and ethical requirements such as combat training rules and weapons engagement zones.

At the Lockheed Martin F-35 Production Facility

In December 2022 and April 2023, the Air Force and DARPA commenced actual flight tests with AI agents piloting VISTA. By September 2023, VISTA was ready to face off against a human pilot. Over a two-week period, VISTA competed against an F-16 in various scenarios, including situations where it started at a disadvantage against the human-operated jet.