Photo: Kratos
We’re getting dangerously close to the moment when aircraft with pilots on board will be fighting alongside drones. And we don’t mean those "dumb" drones that still need a pilot, even if miles away, to go about their business. No, we’re talking about AI drones, the kind that can make decisions on their own.
At the beginning of the month, defense contractor Kratos and the 96th Test Wing from the Eglin Air Force Base conducted a series of exercises with something they call the Skyborg autonomy core system (ACS). Mounted onboard a UTAP-22 Mako drone, the ACS proved all we stated above is probably just years away.
ACS is considered by Kratos the brain of the autonomous aircraft. It took to the sky three times, and even if it was given commands from the ground or the fighters flying in its vicinity, it was capable of deciding on the best flight path and throttle settings. For now, ‘cause who knows what it will be capable of in the future.
During these three test flights, something exciting happened, but few people noticed. Major Nathan McCaskey of the 40th Flight Test Squadron flew his fighter jet right alongside the drone, achieving "the closest ever manned fighter to an unmanned aircraft under autonomous control in DoD history.” The specifics of what that actually means were not announced.
The ACS system is developed as part of the Skyborg Vanguard program. The goal is to create an autonomous drone capable of teaming up with crewed planes in combat areas, which can be used to find and track targets in places regular fighter jets have trouble getting into for one reason or another.
For now, neither of the parties involved in the project is talking about the possibility of the ACS deciding on more than just flight path and speed.
ACS is considered by Kratos the brain of the autonomous aircraft. It took to the sky three times, and even if it was given commands from the ground or the fighters flying in its vicinity, it was capable of deciding on the best flight path and throttle settings. For now, ‘cause who knows what it will be capable of in the future.
During these three test flights, something exciting happened, but few people noticed. Major Nathan McCaskey of the 40th Flight Test Squadron flew his fighter jet right alongside the drone, achieving "the closest ever manned fighter to an unmanned aircraft under autonomous control in DoD history.” The specifics of what that actually means were not announced.
The ACS system is developed as part of the Skyborg Vanguard program. The goal is to create an autonomous drone capable of teaming up with crewed planes in combat areas, which can be used to find and track targets in places regular fighter jets have trouble getting into for one reason or another.
For now, neither of the parties involved in the project is talking about the possibility of the ACS deciding on more than just flight path and speed.
Google News