The final US Air Force (USAF) Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter destined to become an autonomous combat aircraft testbed has arrived at Eglin AFB, Florida.
The jet landed on 1 April and is set to be modified for the Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model-Autonomy Flying Testbed programme, or VENOM, says the USAF.
Three F-16s at Eglin are already undergoing work to turn them into autonomous aircraft. Reports suggest that six F-16s will be modified under the VENOM programme.
“Modifying the aircraft is the result of a rigorous design phase and brings us one step closer to testing autonomy on a fighter jet with real mission systems and capabilities,” says Major Trent McMullen, the 40th Flight Test Sqn’s advanced capabilities division chief.
A key physical change to the jets sees the addition of an auto-throttle that allows VENOM aircraft to regulate control surfaces and thrust.
The work will help inform the development and capabilities of collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), which are envisaged as one day operating alongside manned fighters.
The first VENOM F-16 has yet to take flight, but simulations of the autonomy system are already underway. “Countless aircraft combat scenarios” have taken place, says the USAF.
The simulations, which kicked off in 2024, include one-on-one and two-on-two engagements, as well as within-visual-range and beyond-visual-range missions.
“These simulations provide an efficient way to train the autonomy to learn complex air combat tactics,” says McMullen.
“A specific scenario can be run 1,000 times and the variations and decisions made throughout that mission can be studied. We can then make recommendations to the developers on how to improve the autonomy’s behaviours and overall performance.”
Safety is critical for the eventual flight tests, as VENOM aircraft will fly with a pilot aboard who can take over if necessary. A key element of testing is to ensure that the autonomy keeps aircraft manoeuvres within the safety envelope.
Software tests will be followed by hardware tests, ultimately leading to a first flight. The first three F-16s for the VENOM programme arrived in April 2024. It takes 18 months of modification work to prepare one for testing.
“As the VENOM programme’s first flight approaches, we are excited to test novel autonomous solutions,” says McMullen.
“The strides we’ve witnessed in the simulation environment suggest VENOM will help advance aerial combat capabilities for future crewed and uncrewed platforms.”
The VENOM aircraft will not be the first F-16s to fly autonomously. In late 2022 the X-62A VISTA – an F-16 derivative – logged more than 17h flown by an artificial intelligence agent.
