Air Force general states AI-piloted fighter jets remain far from reality

Citing Wickert again, Defense News reported that "the [412th Test Wings'] base will house the Air Force’s CCA drones for testing—likely next year—once the two contractors, General Atomics and Anduril, finish their prototypes." While the AI software developed through the VISTA program will not be directly applied to Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), it will influence future developments.

Current unmanned aerial vehicles like Project Venom's autonomous F-16s and Northrop Grumman's X-47A Pegasus illustrate advances but also highlight limitations. These systems often struggle with complex battlefield scenarios and ethical considerations regarding decision-making autonomy.

General Mark Kelly of Air Combat Command emphasized the importance of controlling the electromagnetic spectrum: “If we lose the war in the electromagnetic spectrum, we lose the war in the air.” This sentiment underscores concerns about vulnerabilities such as jamming communications essential for drone operations.

The distinction between manned and unmanned aircraft is becoming increasingly blurred. Some aircraft are designed to be optionally manned or incorporate varying levels of autonomy. For example, while a drone might scout autonomously for targets, it could still require human authorization to engage them.

In summary, while drones are crucial to modern warfare strategies alongside traditional manned fighters like the F-35 Lightning II—a sophisticated stealthy flying supercomputer—the full transition to AI-piloted combat remains a distant prospect.