AI-Enabled Air Vehicle Accomplishes Tactical Testing

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A XQ-58 Valkyrie launches for a test mission on August 22 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The mission successfully tested components that greatly reduce the risk of large scale crewed and uncrewed autonomous systems (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Rebecca Abordo).
A XQ-58 Valkyrie launches for a test mission on August 22 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The mission successfully tested components that greatly reduce the risk of large scale crewed and uncrewed autonomous systems (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Rebecca Abordo).

September 22, 2023 | Originally published by Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on September 20, 2023

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. – The Air Force demonstrated artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled air combat during a successful launch of an XQ-58A Valkyrie on August 22.

This flight helps develop a trained tactical autonomy algorithm from simulation through flight tests on a high-performance, uncrewed air vehicle.

AI algorithms, developed and trained by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Autonomous Air Combat Operations, were integrated into an XQ-58A and flown in the Eglin Gulf Test & Training Range.

Trained through deep reinforcement learning, the AI algorithms used neural networks to fly the live air vehicle against simulated opponents using simulated mission systems and simulated weapons.

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