For the first time ever, VISTA, a jet trainer aircraft controlled by AI, has been in the air for more than 17 hours.

Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) VISTA X-62A, a unique training aircraft, was flown by an AI agent for over 17 hours in December, marking the first time AI was used on a tactical aircraft.

VISTA (“Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft”) is a one-of-a-kind training airplane that allows the development and testing of AI techniques for uncrewed vehicle designs. It is a modified F-16D Block 30 Peace Marble Il aircraft upgraded with Block 40 avionics. Besides being able to operate autonomously, as demonstrated, the VISTA can mimic the flight characteristics of various aircraft. (Lockheed Martin)

Previously designated NF-16D, in June 2021 VISTA was recognized by the U.S. Air Force and deemed a national asset with a formal redesignation to VISTA X-62A.

The upgrades made by the U.S. Air Force included an updated VISTA Simulation System (VSS), Model Following Algorithm (MFA), and System for Autonomous Control of the Simulation (SACS), which emphasize advancing autonomous aircraft algorithm development and integration.

“VISTA will allow us to parallelize the development and test of cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques with new uncrewed vehicle designs,” said Dr. M. Christopher Cotting, US. Air Force Test Pilot School director of research. “This approach, combined with focused testing on new vehicle systems as they are produced, will rapidly mature autonomy for uncrewed platforms and allow us to deliver tactically relevant capability to our war fighter.”

Lockheed Martin has been applying and deploying trusted AI technologies for decades to maximize performance, safety, and situational awareness.

The aircraft will continue to play an integral role in the rapid development of AI and autonomy capabilities for the U.S. Air Force.

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Image source: Lockheed Martin