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An AI-controlled fighter jet took the Air Force leader for a historic ride. What that means for war

An experimental F-16 fighter jet has taken Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on a history-making flight controlled by artificial intelligence and not a human pilot. (AP Video by Eugene Garcia and Mike Pesoli)

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall sits in the front cockpit of an X-62A VISTA aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The flight on the Artificial Intelligence-controlled modified F-16, is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. Arms control experts and humanitarian groups are concerned that AI might one day be able to take lives autonomously and are seeking greater restrictions on its use. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

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Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall smiles after a test flight of the X-62A VISTA aircraft against a human-crewed F-16 aircraft in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The flight on the Artificial Intelligence-controlled VISTA is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

This image from remote video released by the U.S. Air Force shows Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall during his experimental flight inside the cockpit of a X-62A VISTA aircraft autonomous warplane above Edwards Air Base, Calif, on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The AI-controlled flight is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. (United States Air Force Photo via AP)

An AI-enabled Air Force F-16 fighter jet, left, flies next to an adversary F-16, as both aircraft race within 1,000 feet of each other, trying to force their opponent into vulnerable positions, on Thursday, May 2, 2024, above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall sits in the front cockpit of an X-62A VISTA aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The flight on the AI-controlled aircraft is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. Arms control experts and humanitarian groups are concerned that AI might one day be able to take lives autonomously and are seeking greater restrictions on its use. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

The X-62A VISTA aircraft, an experimental AI-enabled Air Force F-16 fighter jet, takes off on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall riding in the front seat, is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendal addresses the future role of Artificial Intelligence in air combat at USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The X-62A VISTA aircraft, an AI-controlled experimental F-16, flew Kendall in maneuvers that put 5Gs of pressure on his body at speeds exceeding 550 miles an hour. The flight is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

An Air Force mechanic checks the interior of the X-62A Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft, or VISTA, after it performed several AI flight tests in which AI agents piloted to perform advanced fighter maneuvers against a human-crewed F-16 aircraft in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The flight is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, right, talks to Col. James Valpiani, Commandant, USAF TPS, after Kendall’s test flight of the X-62A VISTA aircraft against a human-crewed F-16 aircraft in the skies above Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The flight is serving as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, right, and Maj. Ryan Forystek, an X-62A VISTA Pilot for SecAF flight, climb into the cockpit of the X-62A VISTA aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The AI-controlled aircraft that flew Kendall served as a public statement of confidence in the future role of AI in air combat. The military is planning to use the technology to operate an unmanned fleet of 1,000 aircraft. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — With the midday sun blazing, an experimental orange and white F-16 fighter jet launched with a familiar roar that is a hallmark of U.S. airpower. But the aerial combat that followed was unlike any other: This F-16 was controlled by artificial intelligence, not a human pilot. And riding in the front seat was Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.

AI marks one of the biggest advances in military aviation since the introduction of stealth in the early 1990s, and the Air Force has aggressively leaned in. Even though the technology is not fully developed, the service is planning for an AI-enabled fleet of more than 1,000 unmanned warplanes, the first of them operating by 2028.

It was fitting that the dogfight took place at Edwards Air Force Base, a vast desert facility where Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound and the military has incubated its most secret aerospace advances. Inside classified simulators and buildings with layers of shielding against surveillance, a new test-pilot generation is training AI agents to fly in war. Kendall traveled here to see AI fly in real time and make a public statement of confidence in its future role in air combat .

“It’s a security risk not to have it. At this point, we have to have it,” Kendall said in an interview with The Associated Press after he landed. The AP, along with NBC, was granted permission to witness the secret flight on the condition that it would not be reported until it was complete because of operational security concerns.

The AI-controlled F-16, called Vista, flew Kendall in lightning-fast maneuvers at more than 550 miles an hour that put pressure on his body at five times the force of gravity. It went nearly nose to nose with a second human-piloted F-16 as both aircraft raced within 1,000 feet of each other, twisting and looping to try force their opponent into vulnerable positions.

At the end of the hourlong flight, Kendall climbed out of the cockpit grinning. He said he’d seen enough during his flight that he’d trust this still-learning AI with the ability to decide whether or not to launch weapons in war.

There’s a lot of opposition to that idea. Arms control experts and humanitarian groups are deeply concerned that AI one day might be able to autonomously drop bombs that kill people without further human consultation, and they are seeking greater restrictions on its use .

“There are widespread and serious concerns about ceding life-and-death decisions to sensors and software,” the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned. Autonomous weapons “are an immediate cause of concern and demand an urgent, international political response.”

Kendall said there will always be human oversight in the system when weapons are used.

The military’s shift to AI-enabled planes is driven by security, cost and strategic capability. If the U.S. and China should end up in conflict , for example, today’s Air Force fleet of expensive, manned fighters will be vulnerable because of gains on both sides in electronic warfare, space and air defense systems. China’s air force is on pace to outnumber the U.S. and it is also amassing a fleet of flying unmanned weapons.

Future war scenarios envision swarms of American unmanned aircraft providing an advance attack on enemy defenses to give the U.S. the ability to penetrate an airspace without high risk to pilot lives. But the shift is also driven by money. The Air Force is still hampered by production delays and cost overruns in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will cost an estimated of $1.7 trillion.

Smaller and cheaper AI-controlled unmanned jets are the way ahead, Kendall said.

Vista’s military operators say no other country in the world has an AI jet like it, where the software first learns on millions of data points in a simulator, then tests its conclusions during actual flights. That real-world performance data is then put back into the simulator where the AI then processes it to learn more.

China has AI, but there’s no indication it has found a way to run tests outside a simulator. And, like a junior officer first learning tactics, some lessons can only be learned in the air, Vista’s test pilots said.

Until you actually fly, “it’s all guesswork,” chief test pilot Bill Gray said. “And the longer it takes you to figure that out, the longer it takes before you have useful systems.”

Vista flew its first AI-controlled dogfight in September 2023, and there have only been about two dozen similar flights since. But the programs are learning so quickly from each engagement that some AI versions getting tested on Vista are already beating human pilots in air-to-air combat.

The pilots at this base are aware that in some respects, they may be training their replacements or shaping a future construct where fewer of them are needed .

But they also say they would not want to be up in the sky against an adversary that has AI-controlled aircraft if the U.S. does not also have its own fleet.

“We have to keep running. And we have to run fast,” Kendall said.

Air Force's X-51A Hypersonic Scramjet Makes Record-Breaking Final Flight

The U.S. military launched an experimental hypersonic aircraft on its swan song test flight Wednesday (May 1), accelerating the craft to more than five times the speed of sound in the longest-ever mission for a vehicle of its kind.

The Air Force's X-51A Waverider  reached a top speed of Mach 5.1 during the test flight, traveling more than 230 nautical miles in just over six minutes before crashing into the Pacific Ocean off the California coast as planned, Air Force officials announced today (May 3).

Wednesday's flight used the last of four X-51A vehicles built by Boeing for the Air Force experiments. While the previous test, in August 2012, was a failure , Wednesday's mission pulled off the longest air-breathing hypersonic flight ever, officials said. [ See Video of the X-51A's Final Flight ]

"It was a full mission success," Charlie Brink, X-51A program manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate, said in a statement.

The X-51A took off Wednesday morning from Edwards Air Force Base in California under the wing of a B-52H Stratofortress. The Waverider was released at an altitude of approximately 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) and used a solid rocket booster to accelerate to Mach 4.8 in just 26 seconds.

The Waverider then separated from the rocket and sped up to Mach 5.1 at an altitutde of 60,000 feet (18,300 m), powered by its air-breathing supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine, officials said.

The X-51A burned up the scramjet's four-minute fuel supply and was destroyed as expected upon impacting the Pacific Ocean. All told, the vehicle returned 370 seconds of flight data.

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While there is no plan to build any more X-51A vehicles, officials said the $300 million technology demonstration program, which began in 2004, leaves a valuable legacy.

"I believe all we have learned from the X-51A Waverider will serve as the bedrock for future hypersonics research and ultimately the practical application of hypersonic flight," Brink said.

Hypersonic flight  is generally defined as anything that reaches speeds above Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. (The speed of sound at sea level is about 762 mph, or 1,226 km/h.)

While most other hypersonic vehicles use hydrogen propellant, the X-51A's scramjet is powered by hydrocarbon fuel, which Air Force officials say is more logistically feasible and could allow the technology to be applied on a broader scale.

The first X-51A test flight occurred in May 2010. It was hailed as a success, as the vehicle flew for more than three minutes and reached Mach 4.88. The next two flights, in June 2011 and August 2012, both failed.

The U.S. military has been studying hypersonic flight in order to develop new weapons capable of striking targets anywhere on Earth within an hour. In addition to the Air Force's work with the X-51A, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched two test flights of its HTV hypersonic bomber prototype, which reached Mach 20 in an August 2011 test flight before losing control.

While that 2011 HTV mission lasted nine minutes, the vehicle only demonstrated controlled flight for three minutes during the test. The HTV was also a glider vehicle, and not an air-breathing scramjet.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter  @michaeldwall  and  Google+ . Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . Originally published on  SPACE.com.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with  Space.com  and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

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The Fastest Fighter Jet in History: The NASA X-43

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When it comes to the question of the fastest fighter jet , you can choose to compare only those fighter jets that are still in service, or you can consider every last jet fighter that's ever graced the skies — and we've chosen to go with the latter.

As far as aviation technology goes, fighter jets have long been at the forefront, pushing the boundaries of altitude and performance. Unlike commercial airliners, they emphasize speed and maneuverability, with many of them also having stealth capabilities, the ability to fire air-to-air missiles and other unique features.

Considering just how advanced these military aircraft have to be — a pilot's life usually depends on it — each one is a monumental achievement in engineering, paving the way for future fighter jets to be even faster, more powerful and better equipped. In celebration of this innovative spirit, here are seven of the fastest jets in all of aviation history.

• North American X-15
• Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
• Bell X-2 Starbuster
• Lockheed YF-12
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31 Foxhound

1. NASA X-43

The X-43, an experimental aircraft, holds the distinction of being not only the fastest fighter jet but the fastest aircraft ever built period, having achieved a top speed of Mach 9.6.

As part of a $230 million Hyper-X program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) developed the X-43 to explore hypersonic flight . In doing so, the U.S. agency shattered speed records and pushed the limits of aerospace engineering.

Technical Difficulties

Because of the X-43's design, NASA had to release it from a B-52 for it to fly. Once airborne, however, the flights were short-lived .

NASA destroyed the first jet in 2001 when it malfunctioned during a test. In 2004, each of the remaining two jets flew for just 10 seconds (achieving Mach 6.8 and then Mach 9.6, respectively) during test flights, then crashed into the ocean after 10 minutes of gliding.

Technically Disqualified?

Some argue the X-43 doesn't count as a fighter jet, given it was an experimental, unmanned aircraft focused on speed rather than dogfighting.

However, given the project's federal backing and the military implications of what it achieved, others consider this supersonic aircraft to be the fastest fighter jet of all time.

2. North American X-15

The X-15, a joint project between NASA and the United States Air Force (USAF), was another groundbreaking aircraft in the pursuit of speed and a predecessor to the X-43. Capable of reaching speeds over Mach 6, the rocket-powered jet was in development during the 1950s and '60s.

Fastest Flight in a Manned Aircraft

Like the X-43, the X-15 had to hitch a ride into the sky on a B-52, but unlike the X-43, it was a manned aircraft. In 1967, pilot Pete Knight made history by flying Mach 6.72, or 6.72 times the speed of sound, in the X-15, marking the fastest flight in a manned aircraft ever recorded.

An Honorable Retirement

The high-speed aircraft underwent 199 test flights before NASA and the USAF retired the X-15 in 1968 . A famous USAF photo from the 1960s shows an X-15 flying over Edwards Air Force Base during a supersonic flight.

3. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

No discussion of fast fighter jets would be complete without mentioning the legendary SR-71 Blackbird.

Developed during the Cold War era, this reconnaissance aircraft boasted a top speed of Mach 3.30 at more than 16 miles (85,000 feet or 25,908 meters) above the earth. Because of the danger of a sudden loss in cabin pressure, the Blackbird's crew members wore pressure suits similar to astronaut suits.

The U.S. military had needed a fighter jet that could out-maneuver interceptors and other surface-to-air missile systems, and in the Blackbird the USAF found the speed it was looking for.

The aircraft's sleek, all-black profile and unmatched speed capabilities earned it a reputation as the pinnacle of aerospace technology and a symbol of American air superiority.

4. Bell X-2 Starbuster

In the early days of supersonic flight, the Bell X-2 Starbuster emerged as a pioneering aircraft, leading the way for future jets, including the X-43 and the X-15.

The X-2 was the result of a 1945 collaboration between Bell Aircraft Corporation, the USAF and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).

Glory and Tragedy

In 1956, Capt. Milburn G. "Mel" Apt broke the sound barrier when he reached a top speed of Mach 3.20 in the X-2, making him the first person to fly faster than Mach 3.

Unfortunately, after setting this record, the jet went into a tumble. Although Apt jettisoned the escape capsule in which he was riding, he was unable to deploy his parachute before the capsule crashed.

5. Lockheed YF-12

The USAF developed the Lockheed YF-12 as a prototype interceptor in the 1960s because it needed a jet that could fly at a high altitude while also defending military assets from an enemy's supersonic bombers.

Lockheed and the military made three of these aircraft, and at least one of them reached a maximum speed of Mach 3.20 during testing.

Unfortunately, the USAF ultimately ran out of funding for the YF-12 program, instead diverting funds to other needs related to the Vietnam War. Although the U.S. never put this jet fighter into full production, the performance of this impressive aircraft led to the development of other high-speed military aircraft.

The only surviving plane is on display at the National Museum of the USAF in Ohio.

6. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 Foxbat

The Soviet Union developed the MiG-25, also known by its NATO code name "Foxbat," during the Cold War . A formidable interceptor aircraft, known for its blistering high speeds, the MiG-25 had a top speed of Mach 2.83 and entered service in 1970.

Enemy Intel

When the Soviet fighter pilot Victor Belenko defected to Japan in 1976, he flew there in a MiG-25. As a result, the U.S. military was able to gain a wealth of information on the Foxbat.

The Soviet Union had designed the fighter jet to counter the threat of high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and bombers. Equipped with advanced radar systems and four air-to-air missiles, the MiG-25 posed a significant challenge to Western air forces.

A Prolonged Legacy

The Soviet Union stopped producing MiG-25s decades ago, but that didn't stop them from playing a part in subsequent global conflicts. For example, Iraq flew MiG-25 aircraft during the Iran-Iraq War and the Persian Gulf War.

7. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31 Foxhound

Building upon the legacy of the MiG-25, the MiG-3, or "Foxhound," emerged as a successor for intercepting and engaging high-speed targets. With a maximum speed of Mach 2.83, this fighter jet first appeared in the skies in 1975, and the Russian air force, called VVS, still uses it.

Featuring a classic fighter jet silhouette, the MiG-31 is a formidable adversary in aerial combat. While a pilot controls the airspeed and altitude, a weapon system officer (WSO) focuses on operating the radar and deploying weapons.

In comparison to the MiG-25, the Foxhound features enhanced radar capabilities and improved avionics, making it able to fly fast with good stability at low altitudes — something its predecessor couldn't do nearly as well.

This article was created in conjunction with AI technology, then was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.

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The US Air Force Is Moving Fast on AI-Piloted Fighter Jets

On the morning of December 1, 2022, a modified F-16 fighter jet codenamed VISTA X-62A took off from Edwards Air Force Base, roughly 60 miles north of Los Angeles. Over the course of a short test flight, the VISTA engaged in advanced fighter maneuver drills, including simulated aerial dogfights, before landing successfully back at base. While this may sound like business as usual for the US’s premier pilot training school—or like scenes lifted straight from  Top Gun: Maverick —it was not a fighter pilot at the controls but, for the first time on a tactical aircraft , a sophisticated AI.

Overseen by the US Department of Defense, VISTA X-62A undertook 12 AI-led test flights between December 1 and 16, totaling more than 17 hours of autonomous flight time. The breakthrough comes as part of a drive by the United States Air Force Vanguard to develop unmanned combat aerial vehicles. Initiated in 2019, the  Skyborg program will continue testing through 2023, with hopes of developing a working prototype by the end of the year. 

The VISTA program is a crucial first step toward these goals, M. Christopher Cotting, director of research at USAF Test Pilot School, explains. “This approach, combined with focused testing on new vehicle systems as they are produced, will rapidly mature autonomy for uncrewed platforms and allow us to deliver tactically relevant capability to our warfighter,” he says. 

With Ukraine’s use of semiautonomous drones, the US military’s first autonomous flight of a Black Hawk helicopter last November, and the successful testing of AI algorithms in US U-2 spy planes in 2020, it’s clear that autonomous combat represents the next front in modern warfare. But just how completely will AI take over our skies, and what does it mean for the human pilots left on the ground?

The VISTA X-62A (short for Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft) has always been ahead of its time. Built in the 1980s and based on an F-16D Block 30 Peace Marble Il, the plane previously held the designation NF-16D and became the US Airforce Test Pilot School’s go-to simulation machine in the early 1990s. A versatile and adaptable training tool boasting open systems architecture, the VISTA can be fitted with software that allows it to mimic the performance characteristics of multiple aircraft, from heavy bombers to ultra-light fighter jets. 

Prior to last year’s autonomous flight tests, the VISTA received a much-needed update in the form of a “model following algorithm” (MFA) and a “system for autonomous control of the simulation” (SACS) from Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works. Combined with the VISTA Simulation System from defense and aerospace company Calspan Corporation, these updates facilitated an emphasis on autonomy and AI integration. 

Utilizing General Dynamics’s Enterprise-wide Open Systems Architecture (E-OSA) to power the Enterprise Mission Computer version 2 (EMC2, or Einstein Box), the SACS system also integrates advanced sensors, a set of Getac tablet displays in both cockpits, and multilevel security features, all of which enhance VISTA’s capabilities, including its rapid-prototyping advantage, which allows for speedy software updates to meet the accelerating pace of AI development.

During testing in December, a pair of AI programs were fed into the system: the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Autonomous Air Combat Operations (AACO) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Air Combat Evolution (ACE). AACO’s AI agents focused on combat with a single adversary beyond visual range (BVR), while ACE focused on dogfight-style maneuvers with a closer, “visible” simulated enemy.

While VISTA requires a certified pilot in the rear cockpit as backup, during test flights, an engineer trained in the AI systems manned the front cockpit to deal with any technical issues that arose. In the end, these issues were minor. While not able to elaborate on the intricacies, DARPA program manager Lt. Col. Ryan Hefron explains that any hiccups were “to be expected when transitioning from virtual to live.” All in all, it was a significant step toward realizing Skyborg’s aim of getting autonomous aircraft off the ground as soon as possible.

The Department of Defense stresses that AACO and ACE are designed to supplement human pilots, not replace them. In some instances, AI copilot systems could act as a support mechanism for pilots in active combat. With AACO and ACE capable of parsing millions of data inputs per second, and having the ability to take control of the plane at critical junctures, this could be vital in life-or-death situations. For more routine missions that do not require human input, flights could be entirely autonomous, with the nose-section of planes being swapped out when a cockpit is not required for a human pilot.

“We’re not trying to replace pilots, we’re trying to  augment  them, give them an extra tool,” Cotting says. He draws the analogy of soldiers of bygone campaigns riding into battle on horses. “The horse and the human had to work together,” he says. “The horse can run the trail really well, so the rider doesn’t have to worry about going from point A to B. His brain can be freed up to think bigger thoughts.” For example, Cotting says, a first lieutenant with 100 hours of experience in the cockpit could artificially gain the same edge as a much higher-ranking officer with 1,000 hours of flight experience, thanks to AI augmentation.

For Bill Gray, chief test pilot at the USAF Test Pilot School, incorporating AI is a natural extension of the work he does with human students. “Whenever we [pilots] talk to engineers and scientists about the difficulties of training and qualifying AI agents, they typically treat this as a new problem,” he says. “This bothers me, because I have been training and qualifying highly non-linear and unpredictable natural intelligence agents—students—for decades. For me, the question isn’t, ‘Can we train and qualify AI agents?’ It’s, ‘Why can we train and qualify humans, and what can this teach us about doing the same for AI agents?’

Gray believes AI is “not a wonder tool that can solve all of the problems,” but rather that it must be developed in a balanced approach, with built-in safety measures to prevent costly mishaps. An overreliance on AI—a “trust in autonomy”—can be dangerous, Gray believes, pointing out failures in Tesla’s autopilot program despite Tesla asserting the need for the driver to be at the wheel as a backup. Cotting agrees, calling the ability to test AI programs in the VISTA a “risk-reduction plan.” By training AI on conventional systems such as the VISTA X-62—rather than building an entirely new aircraft—automatic limits and, if necessary, safety pilot intervention can help prevent the AI from endangering the aircraft as it learns.

The USAF’s technology is advancing rapidly. This past December, trial flights for ACE and ACCO were often completed within hours of each other, with engineers switching autonomy algorithms onboard the VISTA in minutes, without safety or performance issues, according to Cotting. In one instance, Cotting describes uploading new AI at 7:30 am and the plane being ready to test by 10 am.

“Once you get through the process of connecting an AI to a supersonic fighter, the resulting maneuvering is endlessly fascinating,” says Gray. “We have seen things that make sense, and completely surprising things that make no sense at all. Thanks to our safety systems, programmers are changing their models overnight, and we’re engaging them the next morning. This is unheard of in flight control system development, much less experimentation with unpredictable AI agents.”

Despite these successes, it will take some time before the curriculum at the USAF Test Pilot School undergoes an AI overhaul. Cotting explains that the newness of the AACO and ACE platforms means students will require a greater level of understanding before trying them out in the cockpit of the VISTA. “We’re basically building the bridge as we’re driving over,” Cotting says.

In the meantime, students will undergo a broader test this fall in which they’re exposed to a set of AI and have to figure out how to test it, then execute that test.

As for wider military applications, Cotting says that while he has no visibility into these areas, AI is already ubiquitous in image recognition technology used across the military. While AI-driven tanks may not be on the horizon just yet, the skies, it seems, are set to be home to a new kind of intelligence.

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An AI-powered fighter jet took the Air Force’s leader for a historic ride. What that means for war

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With the midday sun blazing, an experimental orange-and-white F-16 fighter jet launched with a familiar roar that is a hallmark of U.S. air power. But the aerial combat that followed was unlike any other: This F-16 was controlled by artificial intelligence, not a human pilot. And riding in the front seat was Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.

AI marks one of the biggest advances in military aviation since the introduction of stealth in the early 1990s, and the Air Force has aggressively leaned in. Even though the technology is not fully developed, the service is planning for an AI-enabled fleet of more than 1,000 unmanned planes, the first of them operating by 2028.

It was fitting that the dogfight took place at Edwards Air Force Base, a vast desert facility where Chuck Yeager broke the speed of sound and the military has incubated its most secret aerospace advances. Inside classified simulators and buildings with layers of shielding against surveillance, a new test-pilot generation is training AI agents to fly in war. Kendall traveled here to see AI fly in real time and make a public statement of confidence in its future role in air combat.

“It’s a security risk not to have it. At this point, we have to have it,” Kendall said in an interview after he landed. The Associated Press, along with NBC, was granted permission to witness the secret flight on condition that it would not be reported until it was complete because of operational security concerns.

The AI-controlled F-16, called Vista, flew Kendall in lightning-fast maneuvers at more than 550 mph that put pressure on his body at five times the force of gravity. It went nearly nose to nose with a second human-piloted F-16 as both aircraft raced within 1,000 feet of each other, twisting and looping to try to force their opponent into vulnerable positions.

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At the end of the hourlong flight, Kendall climbed out of the cockpit grinning. He said he’d seen enough during his flight that he’d trust this still-learning AI with the ability to decide whether to launch weapons in war.

There’s a lot of opposition to that idea. Arms control experts and humanitarian groups are deeply concerned that AI one day might be able to autonomously drop bombs that kill people without further human consultation, and they are seeking greater restrictions on its use.

“There are widespread and serious concerns about ceding life-and-death decisions to sensors and software,” the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned. Autonomous weapons “are an immediate cause of concern and demand an urgent, international political response.”

Kendall said there will always be human oversight in the system when weapons are used.

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The military’s shift to AI-enabled planes is driven by security, cost and strategic capability. If the U.S. and China should end up in conflict, for example, today’s Air Force fleet of expensive, manned fighters will be vulnerable because of gains on both sides in electronic warfare, space and air defense systems. China’s air force is on pace to outnumber the U.S. and it is also amassing a fleet of flying unmanned weapons.

Future war scenarios envision swarms of American unmanned aircraft providing an advance attack on enemy defenses to give the U.S. the ability to penetrate an airspace without high risk to pilot lives. But the shift is also driven by money. The Air Force is still hampered by production delays and cost overruns in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which will cost an estimated $1.7 trillion. Smaller and cheaper AI-controlled unmanned jets are the way ahead, Kendall said.

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Vista’s military operators say no other country in the world has an AI jet like it, where the software first learns on millions of data points in a simulator, then tests its conclusions during actual flights. That real-world performance data are then put back into the simulator where the AI then processes it to learn more.

China has AI, but there’s no indication it has found a way to run tests outside a simulator. And, like a junior officer first learning tactics, some lessons can be learned only in the air, Vista’s test pilots said.

Until you actually fly, “it’s all guesswork,” chief test pilot Bill Gray said. “And the longer it takes you to figure that out, the longer it takes before you have useful systems.”

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Vista flew its first AI-controlled dogfight in September 2023, and there have been only about two dozen similar flights since. But the programs are learning so quickly from each engagement that some AI versions getting tested on Vista are already beating human pilots in air-to-air combat.

The pilots at this base are aware that, in some respects, they may be training their replacements or shaping a future construct where fewer of them are needed.

But they also say they would not want to be up in the sky against an adversary that has AI-controlled aircraft if the U.S. does not also have its own fleet.

Copp writes for the Associated Press.

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The Virtual Tools That Built the Air Force’s New Fighter Prototype

“digital twinning” is coming to a battlefield near you..

Patrick Tucker

• Artificial Intelligence

The Air Force’s newly revealed fighter-jet prototype was designed with immersive simulations and other new digital tools that herald a new era for the creation and production of the U.S. military’s weapons.

Service officials released next to no details about the Next Generation Air Dominance program, or NGAD, whose flight demonstrator has apparently already broken some records. What is known is that the Air Force and its contractors designed the plane virtually, using data and new techniques that allowed the service to build and test it in a fraction of the time required for, say, the F-35, which took more than a decade to build. 

“What having the ‘eplane’ will allow us to do is get much faster through design, much faster through assembly, get out to test faster and be able to go after the data we need to anchor models,” chief acquisition executive Will Roper told reporters Tuesday. “So these digital threads that are pulled through the life cycle of the program, appear to accelerate everything. The windfall of accelerating everything is getting to focus on what actually matters because the digital model is allowing you to convey things that you already know.” 

Virtualization by itself isn’t new. What is new is the computing power and availability of data to make digital versions of real objects credible and useful at a new scale. This practice of digital twinning goes back to a 2002 presentation by engineer Michael Grieves, then working for the University of Michigan’s Product Lifecycle Management Center. As originally conceived, the twin was a digital version of a real thing, created not through simple computer-aided design techniques but from data produced by sensors on the real object. 

“The premise driving the model was that each system consisted of two systems, the physical system that has always existed and a new virtual system that contained all of the information about the physical system,” Grieves wrote in a 2016 paper “This meant that there was a mirroring or twinning of systems between what existed in real space to what existed in virtual space and vice versa.” 

He added that the Defense Department was exploring the concept for the next-generation fighter jet design. 

For the NGAD, the Air Force used data from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the T-7 trainer to develop a virtual prototype, and then a physical, flying aircraft. 

“The announcement isn’t that we just built an ‘eplane,’ and have flown it a lot of times in our virtual world, which we’ve done, but that we have built a full-scale flight demonstrator and flown it in the real world,” said Roper. 

Moreover, it shows that the Air Force has enough data to develop a variety of eplanes quickly, either to tweak existing designs or build new ones from scratch. For example, Roper said, that if he had to build another trainer to follow the T-7, it would need a lot less testing. 

Digital twinning is hardly unique to the Air Force. Apple does it for iPhones, while Tesla creates a digital twin of every vehicle it builds. Sensors aboard the vehicle alert Tesla about problems, and divine whether it needs to be fixed by a mechanic or a remote software update. All that sensor data also goes into new and better designs that are based around what the cars experience in the real world.  

The Defense Department has been moving into the space as well. In April 2018, Michael Griffin, then defense undersecretary for research and engineering, told lawmakers about the need to bring virtualization and simulation into the process of building weapons, networks, and equipment. 

“We are developing a capability to integrate validated Service and threat models into a Joint simulation environment so that we can conduct high fidelity evaluations of these potential capabilities in a mission level scenario so that the Department can gain a better understanding of how these capabilities will work,” Griffin said. Later that year, he went on to push the Department to adopt a new digital engineering strategy. 

Last year, the Pentagon contracted a firm called Uptake to build a virtual twin of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle to better predict maintenance problems. In the future, Roper suggested that the technique will help develop everything from satellites to intercontinental ballistic missiles. 

Grieves, the originator of the concept, recently said in an interview that applications for digital twining extend to aircraft carriers or really anything that the military builds. 

“Put an observer in the room and show an image of a virtual product and a physical product side-by-side,” he said. “Today almost no one can tell the difference.”

NEXT STORY: Revealed: US Air Force Has Secretly Built and Flown a New Fighter Jet

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5 key & experimental aircraft flown by nasa.

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• The Super Guppy solved NASA's logistics issues by transporting oversized cargo.
• The X-59 Quesst aims to eliminate sonic booms and revolutionize supersonic travel.
• NASA's X-57 Maxwell helps develop electric aircraft tech and reduces fuel use and noise.

NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is best known for its space missions but is also a world pioneer in more conventional aviation. For example, NASA and the Air Force worked together to create the X-15 rocket plane that still holds the world record for the fastest-piloted aircraft ever flown (Mach 6.7) . NASA operates a fleet of aircraft that help conduct its aeronautical research, train astronauts, study the planets, and operate the agency's many air and space programs. NASA operates everything from private jets to specialized experimental aircraft, pushing the limits of aviation.

1 Super Guppy

The super guppy is a remarkable solution to nasa's unique logistical problems..

Perhaps the most eye-catching aircraft currently flown by NASA is the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy (the successor of the Pregnant Guppy). It is an aircraft built specially for hauling outsize cargo (such as the complete S-IVB stage and third stage of the Saturn V rocket).

NASA notes that transporting oversized cargo is a tremendous problem for logistics planners—sometimes, it's just impossible to get out-sized cargo through tunnels, along narrow roads, etc. The Super Guppy is not designed to carry the heaviest loads but can carry immensely bulky cargo. Its cargo area is 25 feet in diameter and 111 feet long, and its nose opening is 110 degrees.

Cool: Video Shows NASA's Super Guppy Landing At Mesa Gateway Airport

2 x-59 quesst, quesst is nasa's quest to solve the sonic boom problem and open up supersonic travel..

The X-59 Quesst is one of NASA's most notable experimental aircraft . NASA states Quesst is its ". ..mission to demonstrate how the X-59 can fly supersonic without generating loud sonic booms and then survey what people hear when it flies overhead. " Loud sonic booms were one of the key factors that limited and then doomed the Concorde.

Lockheed Martin (which is building the aircraft) says, " This breakthrough would open the door to an entirely new global market for aircraft manufacturers, enabling passengers to travel anywhere in the world in half the time it takes today ." Queest is expected to fly for the first time in 2024 and will fly at Mach 1.42. If the tests are successful, it may lead to regulators lifting the ban on faster-than-sound flights over land.

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 Has Experimental Certification: What’s Next?

Boom Supersonic's XB-1 prototype is cleared for test flight. Read on for what's being tested with XB-1 and why.

3 X-57 Maxwell

While the x-57 maxwell will never fly, its development has contributed to learning about electric aircraft..

Cars and trucks can be electric - how about aircraft? One of the main problems with electric aircraft is the weight of the battery. However, NASA is experimenting with an all- electric aircraft , the X-57 Maxwell, to demonstrate technology to reduce fuel use, emissions, and noise. NASA states that it "... provides aviation researchers with hundreds of lessons learned, as well as revolutionary development in areas ranging from battery technology to cruise motor control design. "

The X-57 Maxwell was intended to fly in 2023 , but this was canceled after problems were found with its propulsion system that would take too long to fix. Even though it seems the aircraft will never fly, much has been learned from designing and building the aircraft - including the cruise motor controllers.

4 Boeing X-66

The x-66 is being developed to demonstrate truss-bracing and hybrid electric technologies..

The Boeing X-66 is an experimental airliner under development by Boeing in collaboration with NASA. NASA says it is " the first X-plane specifically focused on helping the United States achieve net-zero aviation emissions by 2050 ." Boeing is working with NASA to build, test, and fly a full-scale X-66 demonstrator aircraft, hoping it could be the precursor to a new generation of more sustainable single-aisle aircraft.

While NASA lists the X-66 on its webpage of 'current' X-planes, it doesn't actually exist yet (although there are computer renderings of it). The rendering shows the aircraft's signature extra-long, thin wings stabilized by diagonal struts (called the Transonic Truss-Braced Wing concept). It is estimated this configuration (along with other advancements) could result in up to 30% less fuel consumption relative to today's best-in-class aircraft.

5 F-15D Eagle

Modified f-15ds are used as chase planes to monitor and video-specific missions and for pilot training..

NASA operates various aircraft - including modified F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets. NASA has operated variants of the F-15 Eagle , including the F-15D (#884 and #897). These are used for research support and pilot proficiency. They are typically used for photo or video support as they can transmit live video feeds so that engineers can visually monitor the mission as it is being flown.

NASA states that using fighter jets to monitor experimental or other missions greatly enhances flight safety. Fighter jets, commonly called chase planes, are used as escort aircraft during research missions. Armstrong research pilots also use F15Ds for routine flight training, which is required by all NASA pilots.

Unique NASA Experimental Aircraft Is Up For Sale

The heavily modified de Havilland Canada C-8A Buffalo comes with a reserve price of $10,000.

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AI Just Flew an F-16 for 17 Hours. This Could Change Everything.

It’s a huge step forward for the fighters of the future.

• The VISTA is a training aircraft based on the F-16 .
• Next-generation fighter jets are expected to fly with the assistance of AI.

Move over, Maverick: artificial intelligence (AI) may soon be the next hot fighter jock in the skies.

An AI agent recently flew Lockheed Martin’s VISTA X-62A for more than 17 hours at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) at Edwards Air Force Base in California—the first time AI was used on a tactical aircraft. The experimental training aircraft is expected to lay the groundwork for a coming wave of jets piloted entirely by computers.

The VISTA, developed by Lockheed’s Skunk Works and Calspan Corporation, is fitted with software that allows it to mimic the performance characteristics of other aircraft. The test plane is a modified F-16D Block 30 Peace Marble Il aircraft upgraded with Block 40 avionics.

The VISTA AI test flight may be a sign of things to come. Sixth-generation fighter jets , while still in the concept stage, are expected to have the option to fly without pilots. For example, the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program aims to develop a family of jets to succeed Lockheed’s F-22 Raptor.

The U.S. isn’t the only country eyeing AI for jets. The U.K., Italy, and Japan have announced plans to develop a new fighter that uses algorithms instead of pilots. The next-gen fighters for those countries could enter service in the mid-2030s and might eventually replace the Typhoon jet.

Russia is also getting into the AI aircraft field. A recent report claims the Russian Air Force is upgrading its fighters with AI capabilities that could help pilots with decision-making. While details on the system are scarce, it reportedly allows pairs of fighters to share information more efficiently.

AI is also attracting the interest of private firms that hope to supply tech to service branches. Shield AI recently announced it had raised an additional $60 million in venture capital funding to build AI pilots. The company says its Hivemind software is an AI pilot for military and commercial aircraft that enables aircraft teams to perform missions ranging from penetrating air defense systems to dog fighting.

Hivemind uses algorithms that Shield claims can do everything from mission planning to mapping. Eventually, the company says, aircraft will be able to fly and fight missions nearly on their own. Brandon Tseng, Shield AI’s cofounder, said in a news release that the company is “racing to put up swarms of highly intelligent aircraft to deter the next conflict.”

A few years ago, Elon Musk even predicted that fighter jets would soon become obsolete due to advances in AI. But some observers say that AI is a long way from replacing human pilots.

Sascha Brodsky, a freelance journalist based in New York City and a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, writes about many aspects of technology including personal technology, AI, and virtual reality. His work has appeared in The New York Times , The Atlantic , The Guardian , and many other publications. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling and hiking. 

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The US Air Force secretly built and flew a prototype of its mysterious next-generation fight jet

• The US Air Force designed, built, and flew a prototype of a next-generation fighter aircraft, a senior official told Defense News .
• The experimental fighter was developed under the service's ambitious Next Generation Air Dominance program.
• The purpose of NGAD is to develop an advanced fighter jet featuring "enhancements in survivability, lethality, and persistence across a range of military operations," according to Air Force documents.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .

The US Air Force quietly built and flew a prototype of a fighter jet developed as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance program, the service revealed to Defense News .

Will Roper, the Air Force's top acquisition official, first told Defense News' Valerie Insinna Monday that the service has "already built and flown a full-scale flight demonstrator in the real world, and we broke records in doing it."

"We are ready to go and build the next-generation aircraft in a way that has never happened before," he added.

Roper declined to provide any specific details on the mysterious new aircraft, the contractors involved in its development, or the first flights of the experimental fighter expected to one day deliver more advanced capabilities than fifth-generation fighters like the F-22 and F-35.

Roper more publicly acknowledged the existence and testing of the new jet Tuesday at the Air Force Association's Air Space Cyber virtual conference, Defense One reported .

"NGAD right now is designing, assembling, testing in the digital world, exploring things that would have cost time and money to wait for physical world results," he said. "NGAD has come so far that the full-scale flight demonstrator has already flown in the physical world. It's broken a lot of records in the doing."

Related stories

The purpose of the Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program is to develop an advanced fighter jet featuring "enhancements in survivability, lethality, and persistence across a range of military operations" that can deliver "Air Superiority for the Joint Force in the most challenging of environments," according to Air Force budget documents .

The Air Force's Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal for Congress includes a request for just over $1 billion for the program and plans to request over $6 billion between this next fiscal year and 2025.

Speaking with Defense News, Roper highlighted the rapid pace of development, noting that the service tested a virtual version of its next-generation fighter and then built and flew a full-scale prototype within a year of completing an analysis of possible options.

As for how quickly the the Air Force could move into production, Roper only said that it would be "pretty fast." How that could affect other aircraft programs, such as the F-35 and F-15EX, remains to be seen.

Watch: Here's a look at world's first stealth fighter jet, the F-117A Nighthawk, which was retired in 2008

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10 of the Rarest Experimental Aircraft of WWII

Palm Springs Air Museum / YouTube

When we think of World War II aircraft, common models like the Spitfire or the B-52 Bomber often come to mind. However, there was much more taking off from airfields and design tables worldwide. This is a dive into ten unusual and rare experimental planes which did not make it into mass production yet left their mark in aviation history. To qualify for our list, these aircraft had to exist, complete at least one flight, and not have been mass-produced. From the USA to the Soviet Union, creative minds pushed the limits of aircraft design.

1. Fisher XP-75 Eagle

In the realm of unique concepts, the Fisher XP-75 Eagle takes flight with its distinctive design. Born from a 1943 expectation for a high-climbing, long-range aircraft, the XP-75 was armed with a similar configuration to the single-engine Bell P-39 but fell short of expectations during testing. Despite its potential, recurring faults and rapidly evolving fighter technology led to its cancellation in 1944.

2. Caproni Campini N.1

Italy’s foray into jet propulsion manifested in the Caproni Campini N.1. Italy’s aviation experts were neck and neck with German innovation, thinking they had made history with the first jet turbine-propelled aircraft in 1940. However, the He-178 had already claimed that title. The ambitious N.1 underwent several tests until the Allied forces’ advances in Italy ended further development.

3. Heinkel He 100

Engineers at Heinkel, not satisfied with the performance of the German BF-109, sought to break speed records by creating the He 100, a swift contender that soared to 416 mph. Yet, even with its significant velocity, surpassing the early Spitfire’s 362 mph, it remained a prototype, as the established BF-109 continued its service.

4. Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster

The Douglas XB-42 Mixmaster was a rare bird with speed in its DNA, boasting a high-speed pusher configuration. In 1944, this experimental bomber had the speed (410 mph) to impress, born from a private endeavor by Douglas to create a smaller counterpart to the B-29 with comparable range. A surviving XB-42 is being restored for future display, honoring its place in aviation progress.

5. Piaggio P.119

A novel design came from Italy’s Piaggio P.119 with its mid-mounted radial engine—a stark contrast to other fighters of its day. Designers hoped the engine placement would increase maneuverability and enable a larger arsenal. However, the turning points of the war, including the Italian Armistice, brought the P.119’s development to an end.

6. Blohm & Voss BV141

An innovation in asymmetry, the German-designed Blohm & Voss BV141 reconnaissance aircraft, performed admirably despite its uncommon shape. While the machine’s performance was solid, the odd design did not make it off the drawing board into full-scale production.

7. Flettner FL 282

The Flettner FL 282 stood out as one of the few helicopters considered for WWII operations, tasked with reconnaissance and transport. The German helicopter was little-known because most were not ready for wartime action. A production order was placed, yet only a fraction was built before a bombing raid halted progress.

8. Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1

Further east, the Soviet Union’s Bereznyak-Isayev BI-1 stretched the imagination with its rocket-powered design meant to counteract enemy fighters. After a mere dozen flights, the ambitious interceptor project faded away by 1945 as other technologies took precedence.

9. Vultee XP-54

The Vultee XP-54 catches the eye with its unusual look and advanced features, such as an ejection seat that fired downward. Its pioneering twin-boom, pusher configuration was cutting-edge in 1943. The fighter aircraft also featured an electrically lowered pilot’s seat, which at the time seemed straight out of science fiction.

10. Antonov A-40 Flying Tank

The Antonov A-40 was unlike any other—the epitome of unconventional. This Soviet-built machine was a tank that could glide, a literal “flying tank,” trialed in 1942. It was intended to deliver battlefield vehicles directly to the front lines. While it proved the concept feasible, it was never deployed in combat.

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Experimental fighter aircraft, united states | 1955, "the republic xf-84h attempted to mate a turbine engine with a supersonic propeller system but was limited to just two prototypes.".

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The us air force’s radical plan for a future fighter could field a jet in 5 years.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is preparing to radically alter the acquisition strategy for its next generation of fighter jets, with a new plan that could require industry to design, develop and produce a new fighter in five years or less.

On Oct. 1, the service will officially reshape its next-generation fighter program, known as Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD , Will Roper, the Air Force’s acquisition executive, said during an exclusive interview with Defense News.

Under a new office headed by a yet-unnamed program manager, the NGAD program will adopt a rapid approach to developing small batches of fighters with multiple companies, much like the Century Series of aircraft built in the 1950s, Roper said.

“Based on what industry thinks they can do and what my team will tell me, we will need to set a cadence of how fast we think we build a new airplane from scratch. Right now, my estimate is five years. I may be wrong,” he said. “I’m hoping we can get faster than that — I think that will be insufficient in the long term [to meet future threats] — but five years is so much better than where we are now with normal acquisition.”

Air Force Prepares to Hash Out Future Fighter Requirements

The air force is exploring a variety of technologies to help inform requirements for its next fighter plane..

The Century Series approach would be a notable departure from the Air Force’s former thinking on its future fighter . In its “Air Superiority 2030” study released in 2016 , the Air Force described a long-range, stealthy sensor-shooter called “Penetrating Counter Air,” which would act as NGAD’s central node networked with sensors, drones and other platforms. The Air Force would use prototyping to speed along key technologies in the hope of maturing them early enough for inclusion in advanced aircraft fielded in the early 2030s.

But what Roper calls the “Digital Century Series” would flip that paradigm: Instead of maturing technologies over time to create an exquisite fighter, the Air Force’s goal would be to quickly build the best fighter that industry can muster over a couple years, integrating whatever emerging technology exists. The service would downselect, put a small number of aircraft under contract and then restart another round of competition among fighter manufacturers, which would revise their fighter designs and explore newer leaps in technology.

The result would be a networked family of fighters — some more interrelated than others — developed to meet specific requirements and including best-in-breed technologies aboard a single airframe. One jet might be optimized around a revolutionary capability, like an airborne laser. Another fighter might prioritize state-of-the-art sensors and include artificial intelligence . One might be an unmanned weapons truck.

What’s going on with America’s next fighter designs?

The u.s. air force and navy have ongoing efforts to create a new fighter design, but what does that look like.

But the point, Roper said, is that instead of trying to hone requirements to meet an unknown threat 25 years into the future, the Air Force would rapidly churn out aircraft with new technologies — a tactic that could impose uncertainty on near-peer competitors like Russia and China and force them to deal with the U.S. military on its own terms.

Imagine “every four or five years there was the F-200, F-201, F-202 and it was vague and mysterious [on what the planes] have, but it’s clear it’s a real program and there are real airplanes flying. Well now you have to figure out: What are we bringing to the fight? What improved? How certain are you that you’ve got the best airplane to win?” Roper wondered.

“How do you deal with a threat if you don’t know what the future technology is? Be the threat — always have a new airplane coming out.”

This rendering of a Next Generation Air Dominance aircraft, by Lockheed Martin, shows a tailless stealthy future fighter. (Lockheed Martin)

How does the Air Force get there?

Three industrial technologies enable a Century Series approach for NGAD and will set requirements for participants, Roper said. The first is agile software development — a practice where programmers quickly write, test and release code, soliciting feedback along the way from users.

The second, open architecture, has long been a buzzword in the defense community, but Roper said industry often uses it to describe a system with plug-and-play hardware. NGAD, ideally, would be fully open, with interchangeable hardware and the ability for a third party to develop software for the system.

The final technology, digital engineering, is the most nascent and possibly the most revolutionary, Roper said. While aerospace engineers have used computers for decades to aid in the creation of aircraft, only recently have defense companies developed 3D-modeling tools that can model an entire life cycle — design, production and sustainment — with a high level of accuracy and fidelity. The process would allow companies to not only map out an aircraft in extreme detail, but also model how a production line would work using different levels of manning or how maintainers would carry out repairs at a depot.

“You could start learning so much before you ever bent the first piece of metal and turned the first wrench, so that when you did do it for the first time, you already have learned. You’re already up to a level of proficiency that in the past you would have to be in the 100th aircraft to have,” he said. “And then if you kept going and you modeled the maintenance, then you could go after the part of the life cycle that constitutes the 70 percent of what we pay."

Few defense programs have used digital engineering so far, Roper said. The Air Force is requiring Northrop Grumman and Boeing to use the technique to develop their respective versions of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent.

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Boeing has also demonstrated the technology with its clean-sheet T-X trainer , taking its design from concept to first flight in three years and beating out two competitors that offered modified versions of existing jets.

During a May visit to Boeing’s production facility, Paul Niewald, the company’s chief engineer for the T-X program, described how the company crafted its digital T-X design with such precision that parts could be joined without shims — the material used to fill in gaps between the pieces of an aircraft — and only one master tool was needed during the plane’s production.

In total, Boeing was able to reduce by 80 percent the manual labor needed to manufacture and assemble the aircraft, Niewald said.

This concept art from Boeing shows one concept for the Air Force's future fighter, known as Next Generation Air Dominance. (Boeing)

But creating a simple training jet like the T-X is much different than manufacturing a penetrating fighter jet like the NGAD, and there is no proof that those new manufacturing techniques will work for a more advanced aircraft, argued Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with the Teal Group.

Aboulafia suggested the Air Force might be “overreacting” to the struggles of the F-35, where a “one-size-fits-all” approach and a focus on software and sensors produced a very expensive aircraft that took almost two decades to develop. But a Century Series approach, he warned, could prioritize the development of new air vehicles at the expense of investments in new weapons, radars, sensors, communications gear or other enabling technology.

“With the F-35, we had too much [emphasis on] systems and not enough [on the] air vehicle. Maybe this is going too far in the other direction,” he said. “Isn’t the truth somewhere in between where you have two or three air vehicles but a greater resource allocation for systems? In other words, the truth isn’t the F-35 and the truth isn’t the Century Series. Can’t we just think in terms of something in between, a sensible compromise?”

Rebecca Grant, an aerospace analyst with IRIS Independent Research, expressed enthusiasm for a new fighter design effort, saying that engineers could push out options for a Century Series style effort “extremely quickly.” However, she added that the choice of engine, the integration of its communications suite, and the decision whether to make the platform manned or unmanned would be key variables influencing the design of the air vehicle.

“[A Century Series approach] strikes me that it truly is traditional in a way because this is how it was done in the past. And I think that’s what they’re trying to get to. They want fresh designs. But the difficulty is always as you start to make the most important trade-offs and identify the most important criteria,” she said. “Those become pretty serious driving functions pretty quickly."

A (potential) game plan

The new NGAD program office will determine the final acquisition strategy for the Digital Century Series — including the length of the development cycle, procurement quantities and contracting mechanisms. However, Roper revealed to Defense News his thinking for how the program might work:

• Put at least two manufacturers on contract to design a fighter jet. These could include the existing companies capable of building combat aircraft — Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman — as well as new entrants that could bring a unique technology to the table.
• Have each company create a hyper-realistic “digital twin” of its fighter design using advanced 3D modeling. Use those models to run myriad simulations of how production and sustainment could occur, hypothetically optimizing both and reducing cost and labor hours.
• Award a contract to a single fighter manufacturer for an initial batch of aircraft. Roper said that industry could build about a squadron’s worth of airplanes per year, or about 24 aircraft. Include options in the contract for additional batches of aircraft. Air Combat Command leadership has told Roper that 72 aircraft — about the number of aircraft in a typical Air Force wing — would be a viable amount for normal operations.
• While that vendor begins production, restart the competition, putting other companies on contract to begin designing the next aircraft.

As it forms the NGAD acquisition strategy, the new program office will also explore how defense primes would be compensated for their work. Most current Air Force programs are awarded to the company that can provide the most capability at the lowest price, leading to a status quo where vendors underbid to secure a contract and reap profits only when platforms are mass-produced and sustained.

Budget watchdog warns this fighter could cost three times that of the F-35

The congressional budget office is warning of an expensive price tag for the us air force’s next fighter jet..

But if a Digital Century Series construct is adopted, the Air Force may pay companies more money upfront during the design phase and require them to produce planes with a shorter design life; for instance, a jet with a lifespan of 6,000 flight hours instead of manufacturing aircraft designed to be kept in the skies for 20,000 hours, Roper said.

"That opens up the opportunities to do things very differently, different structural designs, not doing full-scale fatigue testing and all of things we do on the geriatric Air Force to keep things flying,” he said. “Where is the sweet spot where we are keeping airplanes long enough to make a real difference but not so long that we’re paying a premium to sustain them or not able to refresh them with better aircraft?”

One obstacle to the Digital Century Series approach may be persuading Congress to approve the necessary funding. The House Armed Services Committee already recommended cutting funding for the NGAD program in the fiscal 2020 budget request, from $1 billion to $500 million — a sign that the committee may not be sold on the Air Force’s path forward.

Roper said the idea has generated a “good response” from the congressional defense committees but acknowledged that lawmakers have questions about the approach. He also noted there will need to be a means to pay the bills, particularly in the early stages of the development cycle when multiple companies are on contract to design aircraft.

“I think the theory is sound, it’s the funding required and how big of an industry base we can sustain,” he said. “I don’t want to leave companies out, but I also don’t want to go so big that we fail because of funding, not because of the soundness of the idea.”

Valerie Insinna is Defense News' air warfare reporter. She previously worked the Navy/congressional beats for Defense Daily, which followed almost three years as a staff writer for National Defense Magazine. Prior to that, she worked as an editorial assistant for the Tokyo Shimbun’s Washington bureau.

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Does a Fighter Pilot Have to Be Human?

Artificial intelligence proves it can dogfight. What’s next?

Mark Strauss

Science fiction took another leap toward becoming science fact this past spring, when an aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence (AI) engaged in a dogfight against a human-piloted F-16. 

“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. “This is a transformational moment.” 

The unprecedented achievement is the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that has, over the decades, overseen the development of transformative technologies such as the computer mouse, GPS, and even the internet itself. DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution program pitted an X-62A Variable In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) against an F-16 to begin evaluating autonomous AI systems that could move beyond computer simulations and soar into the air. The scenario harks back to when earlier generations of programmers taught computers to play chess—except now the chess pieces are $60 million aircraft flying at one another at 1,200 mph. The objective of the AI flight exercise wasn’t to explicitly create a robot fighter pilot. Rather, programmers see air-to-air combat as a highly complex problem for an artificial intelligence to solve, pushing machine learning to new limits. The AI team made over 100,000 lines of flight-critical software changes across 21 test flights that began last September, culminating with the successful air-to-air combat demonstration in mid-April. The aerial battle began with defensive maneuvers before switching to offensive nose-to-nose engagements.

The Air Force is planning for an AI-enabled fleet of more than 1,000 unpiloted warplanes, the first of them operating by 2028. But officials stress that there will always be human oversight when weapons are involved. During tests, for example, the X-62A is flown with onboard safety pilots, who have the ability to disengage the AI.

Mark Strauss  is  Air & Space Quarterly ’s managing editor.

This article is from the Summer 2024 issue of  Air & Space Quarterly , the National Air and Space Museum's signature magazine that explores topics in aviation and space, from the earliest moments of flight to today.  Explore the full issue.

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Top 10: the world’s weirdest fighter jets ever designed

The world of military aviation has seen its fair share of innovative and unconventional fighter jet designs. Over the years, various nations have embarked on ambitious projects to create fighter aircraft with unique features and capabilities. From strange-looking designs to experimental technologies , these fighter jets stand out as some of the weirdest and most intriguing in history.  

For our purposes here, the sole requirement is the sheer peculiarity of the plane’s design – the more unconventional it is, the better. Fighter jets are specifically crafted as jet aircraft intended for aerial combat against other aircraft. 

  The whole list consists of designs that never went into mass production and never were adopted (with one exception). 

Now join us as we explore the Top 10 oddest fighter jets ever produced, counting down from 10th place and working our way up to the top spot. 

Honorable mention: Saab J35 Draken 

It doesn’t make our Top 10, and the Saab J35 Draken was not as unconventional in appearance as some others on this list, but it did have a unique double-delta wing design. The forward-swept wing and the delta-shaped tail gave it an unmistakable silhouette. The Draken’s innovative design allowed for high agility and remarkable performance during its service with the Swedish Air Force. 

The first flight of the Saab J35 Draken took place on October 25, 1955, and it was retired from military service in 2005. However, at least two aircraft continue to operate in the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight association. 

10. Nord 1500 Griffon 

The Nord 1500 Griffon, also known as the ‘Nord 1500-01 Griffon’, is an aircraft that stands out for its unusual and distinct design. Its first flight took place on September 20th, 1955, and it was designed by Nord Aviation, a French aerospace company, with the intention of exploring various unconventional aerodynamic concepts. 

One of the key features that made the Nord 1500 Griffon so unusual was its unique configuration. It had a canard layout, which meant that it featured small wings at the front of the aircraft, positioned ahead of the main wing. This design was relatively uncommon at the time, and it gave the Griffon a distinct appearance compared to traditional aircraft configurations. 

Moreover, the Nord 1500 Griffon was equipped with a forward-swept wing, which was another unusual characteristic. Forward-swept wings are known to have some advantages, such as improved maneuverability and stall resistance, but they also present challenges in terms of structural integrity and stability.  

The Griffon II used mixed turbojet and ramjet propulsion. The turbojet would allow the fighter to take off while the ramjet would take it to its top speed. On October 5, 1959, the plane set a speed record of 2,320 kilometres per hour (1,440 miles per hour). 

Despite its intriguing design, the Nord 1500 Griffon faced a series of developmental issues and it never progressed beyond the prototype stage. It underwent several modifications in an attempt to address the challenges posed by its ramjet propulsion and the heat it generated. However, the project was eventually abandoned, and no production versions of the Griffon were ever built. 

9. Northrop XP-79 Flying Ram 

The Northrop XP-79 was an experimental jet developed during World War II in 1945 with a highly unconventional and audacious purpose. It was designed as a ’flying ram’, essentially serving as a manned missile with the main objective of physically colliding with enemy aircraft in mid-air. 

The XP-79’s development was motivated by the belief that enemy bomber fleets posed a significant threat and conventional interceptors might not be able to effectively counter them. The idea was that a fast and agile manned aircraft like the XP-79 could be flown into enemy formations, engaging in direct and destructive collisions to take down enemy bombers. That concept was eventually abandoned, but the XP-79 program continued to develop a more conventional interceptor. 

Before the XP-79 could prove its worth or the validity of its concept, it faced a disastrous incident during its initial test flight on September 12, 1945. The aircraft experienced stability issues, leading to a crash that tragically claimed the life of its test pilot, Harry Crosby. 

The fatal accident, along with the changing military strategy and advancements in conventional interceptors, led to the discontinuation of the XP-79 program. 

8. Vought V-173 Flying Pancake 

The Vought V-173 was an extraordinary experimental fighter aircraft. Its unique and distinct design featured a disc-shaped airframe, earning it the nickname ‘Flying Pancake’. The unconventional shape was intended to explore the potential benefits of improved lift and maneuverability. 

The aircraft’s disc-shaped wing and fuselage design were the most striking aspects of the V-173. The circular wing, with a diameter of 23 feet (7 meters), incorporated a series of flat panels that formed the pancake-like structure. The circular wing had a greater chord (width from front to back) than conventional wings, which allowed for a larger lifting surface without significantly increasing the aircraft’s overall size. 

The V-173 first took to the skies on November 23, 1942, in a series of test flights piloted by Boone T. Guyton. During the test program, the aircraft demonstrated impressive low-speed performance and excellent maneuverability. However, the V-173’s top speed was relatively modest, limiting its potential as a high-speed fighter. 

Though the V-173 showed promise and it had several successful flights, it did not progress to full-scale production or widespread adoption. Its design principles were integrated into a more advanced version known as the Vought XF5U-1, featuring a larger twin-disc airframe. But by the time a prototype was ready for testing, the need for such unconventional aircraft had diminished, as more conventional fighter designs had advanced significantly during the war.  

7. Convair XFY Pogo 

The Convair XFY Pogo, a product of the innovative 1950s era, captured the imagination with its distinctive “tailsitter” design and promising vertical takeoff and landing ( VTOL ) capabilities. It took its first tethered flight on April 19, 1954.  

The aircraft’s appearance was undeniably unconventional, boasting a single-seat cockpit perched vertically atop a slender fuselage. Another notable feature was the unique arrangement of contra-rotating propellers, which enabled it to achieve vertical flight. 

Developed specifically for the United States Navy, the XFY Pogo was intended to address the need for fighter aircraft capable of operating from smaller decks of aircraft carriers or even helipads. The VTOL concept had the potential to revolutionize naval aviation, offering greater flexibility and adaptability in a variety of scenarios. 

However, despite its futuristic concept, the XFY Pogo faced significant challenges that hindered its practical viability. One of the most notable hurdles was related to stability and control during vertical flight operations. The aircraft struggled to maintain a steady hover, and this instability proved to be a critical issue during the testing phase. 

Therefore, despite numerous efforts to refine and enhance its design, the XFY Pogo project faced increasing setbacks. Eventually, it became apparent that the technical challenges were too overwhelming to resolve within a reasonable timeframe, and the U.S. Navy decided to cancel the program. 

6. Yakovlev Yak-38U  

The Yakovlev Yak-38U, the twin-seat version of the VTOL fighter jet Yak-38 has an intriguing history that reflects the tumultuous era of Soviet aviation experimentation. Its design and appearance were indeed distinctive and often likened to a curious amalgamation of various elements from different aircraft. It is the only aircraft in this list that actually entered service. 

The Yak-38 was developed during the 1970s as part of the Soviet Union’s ambitious efforts to create viable VTOL aircraft for their naval aviation. Inspired by the success of the British Harrier jump jet, Soviet engineers sought to create a similar aircraft that could operate from the decks of aircraft carriers and small naval vessels, providing greater flexibility in combat scenarios. On January 15, 1971, it took flight for the first time.  

While the Yak-38U shared some design similarities with the Yak-38, it was equipped with a larger cockpit to accommodate a second seat for a co-pilot or instructor, offering training capabilities. 

The VTOL technology used in the Yak-38 was novel, involving the deployment of swiveling nozzles that directed the exhaust gases downward for vertical takeoffs and landings. Unlike the Harrier, which was entirely powered by a single engine, the Yak-38 made use of two smaller engines for vertical lift. However, the aircraft’s complex mechanical systems and design compromises resulted in numerous challenges. 

Like its single-seat counterpart, the Yak-38U faced issues with performance, limited payload capacity and a relatively short operational range, which hindered its combat effectiveness. The Soviet Navy experienced operational difficulties with it and was not satisfied with the aircraft’s capabilities, leading to an infamous reputation. 

With advancements in fixed-wing naval aviation and the development of more capable fighter aircraft, the Yak-38’s role slowly diminished, and the aircraft gradually retired from service in 1991. 

5. Rockwell HiMAT 

The Rockwell HiMAT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) was an experimental remotely piloted aircraft developed by Rockwell International in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Taking its first flight on July 27, 1979, it was designed to explore and demonstrate advanced aerodynamic concepts and flight control technologies. 

The HiMAT was an agile and futuristic-looking aircraft with a delta wing configuration. Its purpose was to investigate various cutting-edge technologies and material that could potentially be used in future fighter aircraft, with the aim of enhancing their maneuverability, survivability and overall performance. 

During its flight-testing phase, the HiMAT showcased remarkable agility and maneuvering capabilities, sustaining 8G turns at near supersonic speed. The aircraft’s performance, and the data collected during its flights, contributed significantly to the advancement of several follow-on programs. 

However, despite its early promise, the HiMAT program was brought to an end.  The use of a remote-controlled aircraft was deemed too complex, with up to five pilots needed during each flight test for various roles. The aircraft was used for a series of flight tests and research missions, but it was not intended for production or operational deployment and was retired in January 1989. 

4. Horten Ho 229  

The Horten Ho 229, also known as the Gotha Go 229, was a groundbreaking prototype fighter jet designed during World War II. The aircraft’s flying wing configuration was ahead of its time, and its innovative design elements made it a fascinating subject of study for aviation engineers and historians. 

The Ho 229 was the brainchild of brothers Walter and Reimar Horten, who were German aircraft designers with a vision for a radical new approach to aviation. Their concept of the flying wing involved eliminating the traditional fuselage and tail section and integrating all essential components, including the cockpit and engines, into the wing structure itself. This approach resulted in a streamlined, tailless aircraft, offering reduced drag and increased efficiency when compared to conventional designs. 

On February 2, 1945, the Horten Ho 229 made its first flight, piloted by test pilot Erwin Ziller. The aircraft’s maiden voyage was conducted at Oranienburg, Germany . The flight was reportedly successful, demonstrating the potential of the flying wing design. The Ho 229 showcased impressive performance, and its unique shape provided it with a reduced radar cross-section, unintentionally foreshadowing the principles of modern stealth technology. 

However, despite its promising performance, Ho 229’s development faced numerous challenges and obstacles due to the chaotic conditions of the final stages of the Second World War and the German war effort’s increasing difficulties. The project suffered from material shortages, limited resources, and the constant threat of Allied bombing raids, which ultimately derailed the development process. 

The Horten Ho 229 program was never able to fulfill its intended role as an operational fighter jet during the war. The aircraft’s development was halted due to the collapse of Nazi Germany, and only a few prototypes were built. Following the war’s end, the Allies captured the remaining Ho 229 prototypes, and the technology was studied and analyzed to gain insights into the innovative design. 

3. Ryan X-13 Vertijet 

The Ryan X-13 Vertijet was an ambitious VTOL aircraft developed by Ryan Aeronautical Corporation in the 1950s, as part of the United States’ efforts to explore advanced aviation technologies. The aircraft’s primary goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of vertical flight and the viability of transitioning from vertical to horizontal flight seamlessly, with the hopes to eventually develop a submarine-borne aircraft. 

On December 10, 1955, the X-13 Vertijet achieved its first successful flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California, marking a significant milestone in the history of VTOL aviation. The aircraft’s maiden flight was a moment of anticipation and excitement, as it aimed to prove that it could overcome the challenges associated with vertical takeoffs and landings. 

The X-13 Vertijet featured a unique design, including a ball-mounted nozzle that could redirect exhaust gasses in the direction needed, allowing the aircraft to transition between the two flight modes. This transition was a critical and demanding phase of the flight, as it required precise control and stability. 

During the testing phase, the X-13 Vertijet demonstrated the envisioned smooth transition between vertical and horizontal flight, validating the effectiveness of its innovative propulsion design. However, the vertical landings proved more difficult, making the recovery of the aircraft a complex operation, and the development was becoming costly. 

Due to these challenges and the availability of more practical alternatives, the interest in tailsitter aircraft diminished over time, and other VTOL aircraft designs became more prevalent. Therefore, Vertijet retired on September 30, 1957.

2. Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender 

The Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender was a unique and experimental fighter aircraft that entered development during the Second World War. The aircraft’s design departed significantly from conventional fighter planes of its era, featuring a distinctive canard configuration and a pusher-propeller layout. 

The XP-55 Ascender’s first flight took place on July 19, 1943, with test pilot J. Harvey Gray at the controls. During its testing phase, the XP-55 Ascender demonstrated satisfactory stability, however when testing for stall performance at altitude in November 1943, the XP-55 was lost due to uncontrolled descent.  

Also, the XP-55 Ascender struggled to surpass the performance of other contemporary fighter planes, and its top speed and rate of climb were underwhelming when compared to standard front-line fighters like the P-51 Mustang or the P-47 Thunderbolt . Additionally, the pusher-propeller configuration led to some issues with engine cooling, affecting its overall performance. 

As the war continued, advancements in jet engines rendered some of the XP-55’s limited benefits obsolete.As a result, only three prototypes of the XP-55 Ascender were built, and no production units were ordered. The project was canceled in 1944, and the two existing prototypes were relegated to test and evaluation purposes. 

Top 1- Convair F2Y Sea Dart 

The Convair F2Y Sea Dart claims the top spot on our list as the world’s weirdest fighter jet ever built. 

It was a fascinating and ambitious experimental aircraft developed during the 1950s by Convair, a prominent American aerospace company, in an attempt to create a high-speed, supersonic seaplane fighter jet, a concept that had not been explored extensively until that time. 

The F2Y Sea Dart’s first flight took place on January 14, 1953, piloted by test pilot Charles E. Richbourg. The aircraft featured a unique design with twin hydro-skis, enabling it to take off from and land on water. This ability made it an interesting candidate for naval operations, as it could potentially operate from bodies of water, including oceans, rivers, and lakes, forgoing the need for a runway. 

The F2Y Sea Dart program faced challenges that ultimately limited its operational potential. The aircraft encountered difficulties with its hydro-skis during takeoff and landing, which impacted its overall effectiveness as a seaplane fighter. Additionally, the complexity of operating a high-speed aircraft from water posed significant operational and maintenance challenges. 

In a tragic accident on November 4, 1954, test pilot Charles E. Richbourg lost his life during the midair disintegration of the Sea Dart he was piloting. Ultimately this, coupled with a whole series of disappointing outcomes, caused the program to be terminated. The remaining four planes were retired in 1957, although a few were kept in reserve until 1962. 

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Super Hornet fighter jets loaded with supersonic missiles spotted in Middle East ahead of potential Iranian attacks: report

US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets have arrived in Jordan, The War Zone reported.

It comes as part of a US military build-up in the region ahead of potential Iranian attacks on Israel.

Iran has vowed to hit back after the assassination of a top Hamas leader last week.

US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets have arrived in Jordan ahead of potential Iranian attacks on Israel, The War Zone reported.

Images of the jets, which are from Strike Fighter Squadron 25 (VFA-25), were released earlier this week after their arrival at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base on August 3, the report said.

The photos showed the jets were primed for air-to-air operations, with each one equipped with at least four AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles and four AIM-9X Sidewinders, it added.

The Squadron of F/A-18E “Super Hornet” Multirole Fighters that were Relocated from the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) to a “Unnamed Partner-Airbase” in the Middle East is now Confirmed to have been Strike Fighter Squadron 25 (VFA-25) also known as the “Fist of the Fleet” from… pic.twitter.com/RT2PXm16r6 — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) August 8, 2024

AIM-120 missiles, also known as AMRAAMs, are supersonic missiles with a launch weight of 335 pounds, according to the US Air Force (USAF).

They have a range of more than 20 miles and use a blast fragmentation warhead.

Sidewinders are "supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air" missiles, the USAF says.

They have a launch weight of 190 pounds and an annular blast fragmentation warhead.

F-22 fighter jets have also touched down in the CENTCOM area of responsibility

The Super Hornet jets' arrival in the Middle East comes as part of a US military build-up in the region ahead of potential attacks by Iran and its proxies against Israel.

Iran has vowed to hit back following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, one of Hamas' top leaders, in Tehran last week. Iran said Israel was behind the assassination.

Haniyeh was the leader of the political wing of Hamas, the armed group that controls Gaza and which has been at war with Israel since the October 7 attacks.

US Central Command said in a post on X on Thursday that some F-22 Raptors had also landed its area of responsibility.

USAF F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets flying out of Jordan were key to Israel's defense against Iran's large-scale attack in April, when Tehran launched some 300 drones and missiles toward Israel.

Read the original article on Business Insider