DoD artificial intelligence agents successfully pilot fighter jet
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AFRL’s Autonomous Air Combat Operations, or AACO, and
DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution, or ACE, AI-driven autonomy agents piloted the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School’s X-62A VISTA to perform advanced fighter maneuvers. AACO’s AI agents performed one-on-one beyond-visual-range, or BVR, engagements against a simulated adversary, and ACE’s AI agents performed within-visual-range maneuvering, known as dogfighting, against constructive AI red-team agents.
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AACO and ACE are autonomy programs focused on developing AI-driven autonomy for airborne tactical platforms. The goal of AACO is to develop and fly an advanced AI-driven autopilot capable of performing aviate and navigate functions and autonomous behaviors such as advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and BVR combat.
DARPA’s ACE program aims to develop trusted, scalable, human-level, AI-driven autonomy for air combat by using human-machine collaborative dogfighting as its challenge problem.
Both programs recognize the value and need for the X-62 and similar testbeds, which are critical for the maturation of AI-driven autonomy capabilities and new uncrewed vehicle model designs, the experimentation lead said.
A joint Department of Defense team executed 12 flight tests in which artificial intelligence, or AI, agents piloted the X-62A Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft, or VISTA, to perform
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