Unmanned F-16 Engages in Dogfight with Piloted F-16! Here's the Outcome
AI-powered X-62A Engages in Dogfight with Real Military Pilot Flying F16. The Results Are Quite Remarkable.
The US Air Force and DARPA organized a new simulation with F16s. For the first time in history, the X-62A aircraft (known as unmanned F16) faced off against a piloted F16. The artificial intelligence succeeded in defeating the pilot in the dogfight simulation.
The AI-controlled F16 won the dogfight against the pilot.
As part of DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program, an interesting test was conducted. The artificial intelligence installed in the X-62A faced off against an experienced F-16 combat pilot. According to reports, the AI-controlled aircraft completed the calculation to make the first shot faster than the pilot.
It was noted that while the pilot adhered to real-world safety rules while maneuvering, the artificial intelligence flew more precisely. This meant it could potentially kill the pilot at the first opportunity. It was observed that the X-62A had the ability to observe, orient, decide, and act (OODA loop) much faster than a human pilot during the conflict.
The situational awareness and response time of the artificial intelligence were also reported to be successful. This allowed it to gain a tactical advantage and emerge victorious from the dogfight simulation.
This test demonstrates that artificial intelligence can not only fly autonomously but also participate in highly complex battles such as dogfights. According to DARPA’s statement, if properly developed and implemented, this could replace pilots.
DARPA also stated that the goal of the ACE program is not to develop autonomous combat aircraft. The agency aims to understand how artificial intelligence can collaborate with human pilots. This collaboration will be used in aviation missions such as inspecting oil pipelines or monitoring power lines.
