Air Force Secretary Plans to Get in Cockpit of Self-Flying Fighter Jet

The Air Force is building an army of artificial intelligence-powered warfighters, each of which will command a fleet of small, buzzing drones.

Jack Daleo

Friday, April 12, 2024 at 03:55 PM ET

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An F-16 fighter jet arrives at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to be modified for autonomous flight testing. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall will fly in an AI-controlled F-16 to personally observe the technology for the future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
The CCA initiative aims to integrate autonomous drones with crewed jets to address the high cost and limited numbers of current fighter aircraft.
The push for advanced AI and autonomous systems, including the broader "Replicator initiative" for attritable drones, is driven by strategic competition with China and the urgent need for military modernization.

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During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Air Force secretary Frank Kendall told U.S. lawmakers he will get in the cockpit of an artificial intelligence-controlled fighter jet.

Kendall said the flight is intended to allow him to observe the technology underlying the Air Force’s future fleet of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which will pair crewed jets with fleets of tiny, buzzing, autonomous drones. A second pilot will join the Air Force secretary, but neither will actually fly the aircraft—a modified F-16—except in case of emergency.