Recently, the United States Air Force performed a test bench using F-16 fighters. But despite the equipment, the test in this case was to use the Artificial Intelligence of an F-16 against the human piloting of the same fighter.
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) software program defeated a United States Air Force (USAF) F-16 pilot in five simulated combats. The software presented several advantages in a precise and aggressive riding style.
The competition was held against an experienced F-16 pilot, who has accumulated more than 2000 flight hours in the same fighter. The Falcon IA program was developed by the defense company Heron Systems.
However, this is not the first time that this automation has been targeted in relation to USAF fighters. Today there are some fighter units F-16 that fly without a pilot, where several tests are done with these drone fighters.
The attacks from these latest tests ran a simulated AI Dog Fight exercise against the senior F-16 pilot. And the result was victory for the Artificial Intelligence system developed for the F-16.
Many times the AI system would hit the piloted fighter as soon as they were face-to-face. The AI program's ability to fly with precision gave it the ability to by the flight safety rules in which USAF human pilots are trained.
The AI program not only flew more accurately, but reacted faster, said the pilot of the F-16 Banger.
Aircraft strikes were called in when a 914-foot (XNUMX m) laser beam, representing the gun's range, projecting from the nose of a virtual jet, crossed the fuselage of another jet.
“We do not allow riders to within [152m (500ft)] of each other. This bubble [152m] is a restriction to not be shot higher than 135 degrees, they (the AI) were routinely violating”, he says. “Agents capitalized on precisely those limitations, which quite frankly is exactly what we want. The point of this exploration of what AI can do is that it can tell us and help us explore tactical space that we just don't accept from a risk perspective."
“I may not feel comfortable putting my aircraft in a position where it could collide with something else. AI would exploit that.”, he says. “The AI is capable of very fine precision control, with perfect state information between the two aircraft. It is capable of making adjustments at a nanosecond level.”
For a human to go through the same tactical OODA loop (observe, orient, decide, act), it takes longer, says Banger.
Taking the part of the safety rules of the field of approach, the controlled simulated combat took equal rules for both aircraft. For example, the simulation did not allow the AI program to fly its F-16 with any greater g-force than ed on a given mission.
“Airplanes are not limited by the pilot. I don't know anyone who has flown a combat mission with 9G in an F-16”, he says. “The plane is limited by the weapons and provisions it carries, the tanks it carries.”
At the very least, the biggest limitation associated with manned flight is life equipment, says Javorsek.
But for now these drone-modified F-16 fighters are only being used in testing. Artificial Intelligence, however, is a study for the future, with practical application beyond the next 10 years.
