The US Air Force Research Laboratory has reported that their artificial intelligence system successfully controlled the XQ-58A Valkyrie drone during a recent flight.
On July 25, the American laboratory conducted a three-hour flight to the Elin testing complex in Florida. This flight was the culmination of two years of collaboration between the laboratory team and the Skyborg Vanguard, in partnership with the Air Force Life Cycle Center, with the goal of creating an unmanned fighter.
During the flight, the AI system worked on flight algorithms that were developed through millions of hours of simulations. These algorithms were initially tested on the X-62A experimental aircraft and then further refined during 10 flights with the XQ-58A. Additional tests were conducted on Earth.
The successful flight paves the way for the development of unmanned fighter jets, known as Jeadens, capable of performing modern combat missions. These unmanned aircraft can potentially be integrated into the Collaboative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, allowing them to work alongside manned aircraft.
In related news, the US Air Force recently tested the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper, an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a radio electronic warfare (ID) system called “Angry Kitten”. This system uses machine learning to analyze and respond to new enemy tactics, while also being capable of fast reprogramming and adaptation to changing environments.
Sources: US Air Force Research Laboratory