Our Contribution
Accelerating the Future of Air Combat
APL has served as a core member of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program since the 2020 AlphaDogfight Trials, a virtual showdown between eight AI research teams from across the United States. As part of the ACE program, APL has developed infrastructure and autonomous solutions, including constructive simulation environments, virtual aircraft simulators, live subscale aircraft, and the interfaces required to integrate performer and APL autonomy solutions into full-scale tactical fighter aircraft. In less than three years, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms developed under program have progressed from controlling simulated F-16s flying aerial dogfights on computer screens to controlling an actual F-16 in flight. In May 2024, the secretary of the Air Force strapped into the cockpit of an F-16 fighter jet used to test AI-assisted flight capabilities and prepared for takeoff. In the lead-up to and during the flight, APL-developed and other performer algorithms commanded the X-62A, a modified F-16 aircraft also referred to as VISTA (Variable In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft), at the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California. To ensure success in the flight test program and enable easy integration of multiple-agent designs, APL developed the ACE Distributed Operations Manager framework, which is integral to the ability of AI agents to fly the X-62A VISTA. In September 2023, ACE’s AI algorithms autonomously piloted the X-62A VISTA against another jet piloted by a human in a simulated aerial battle. The ACE program is a collaborative effort between government, academia, and private industry. Government partners include the Air Force Test Center, Air Force Research Laboratory, DARPA, and the Air Force Test Pilot School.
