The USAF is committed to autonomous aviation. The potential and potency of uncrewed, AI-operated aircraft are no secret. The USAF has been trying to enhance its abilities in this field. In the same spirit, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall announced to the US Senate Appropriations Committee that he would embark on a flight aboard an AI-controlled F-16 fighter jet later this year.
The USAF’s program, which is responsible for ensuring that the US gets an edge in autonomous flight capabilities, is known as the Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM). Three F16 fighter jets were recently dispatched to Eglin Air Force Base for conversion to full AI control. This is indeed a great leap towards the objective set forth by the USAF.
DARPA has made significant advancements that have assisted the overall program. Secretary Kendall’s announcement is a testimony of his confidence in the program. He would be accompanied by a pilot who would primarily observe. This will give the secretary firsthand experience of the capabilities of AI technology in piloting the aircraft.
The USAF maintains that the autonomous programs will be overseen by humans at all times, including in flight. However, there are still some concerns from different groups at the governmental level, which the USAF plans to mitigate by assuring that human involvement will be made integral at all times.
Secretary Kendall’s upcoming flight is somewhat similar to the flights taken by Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos aboard space tourism vehicles. The USAF has in mind a future fleet comprising a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) network comprising both autonomous and human-crewed aircraft. The secretary’s vision is to integrate advanced technologies, such as the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, to enhance military capabilities.