What Happened
Advancing Autonomous Combat Systems with AI-Enabled Testbed
The US Air Force has upgraded its X-62 VISTA testbed to advance the development of combat AI and autonomy technologies. The X-62 VISTA, a highly modified F-16, is a one-of-a-kind testbed that has already completed the first known live-fly AI dogfight in 2023. The upgrades include an advanced radar, expanded sensor and computing capacity, and modern network communications. The Air Force is using the X-62 VISTA to test and evaluate AI and autonomy capabilities, which are expected to underpin future uncrewed combat aircraft and increasingly autonomous crewed fighters. This development was reported by Unknown Source.