The head of the Air Force will risk his life in a drone flight.
In 2024, the head of the US Air Force, Frank Kendall, will fly aboard an F-16 fighter with autonomous control.
The event will be part of the VENOM (Viper Experiment and Next-gen Operations Model – Autonomy Flying Testbed) project, in which six F-16s will be upgraded at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to test autonomous piloting technologies and software. The first three planes arrived at the base in early April.
-16 Fighting Falcon fighter
The main goal of the project is the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which provides for joint combat operations of new-generation manned fighters, such as Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), with unmanned autonomous drones.
"Together with me there will be a pilot who, like me, will simply observe the operation of autonomous control technology. And hopefully, neither he nor I will have to take over," Kendall said.
According to Kendall, the project is progressing well, but the exact date of the test flight has not yet been disclosed.
The US Air Force sees the CCA program as a key element in deterring conflicts with high-tech adversaries. Unmanned systems can significantly increase the firepower and efficiency of manned stealth aircraft, especially in disputed regions.
Initially, it was assumed that CCA drones would be used for electronic warfare, but now their use as "cruise weapon platforms" for manned fighters has become a priority.
In the budget for 2025, the US Air Force requested about $17 million for development, which will form the basis for creating from 1,000 to 2,000 CCA drones. CCA plans to keep the cost of drone production under strict control, aiming to ensure that the price of one drone is 25% or 30% of the cost of the F-35 (less than $28 million).
Also, as part of the NGAD and CCA programs, in November 2023, the Thanatos drone from Kratos Defense was introduced, which will serve as an "armament truck" carrying missiles for fighter jets, various means of electronic warfare, or even operate independently.
In 2024, the head of the US Air Force, Frank Kendall, will fly aboard an F-16 fighter with autonomous control.
The event will be part of the VENOM (Viper Experiment and Next-gen Operations Model – Autonomy Flying Testbed) project, in which six F-16s will be upgraded at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to test autonomous piloting technologies and software. The first three planes arrived at the base in early April.
-16 Fighting Falcon fighter
The main goal of the project is the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which provides for joint combat operations of new-generation manned fighters, such as Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), with unmanned autonomous drones.
"Together with me there will be a pilot who, like me, will simply observe the operation of autonomous control technology. And hopefully, neither he nor I will have to take over," Kendall said.
According to Kendall, the project is progressing well, but the exact date of the test flight has not yet been disclosed.
The US Air Force sees the CCA program as a key element in deterring conflicts with high-tech adversaries. Unmanned systems can significantly increase the firepower and efficiency of manned stealth aircraft, especially in disputed regions.
Initially, it was assumed that CCA drones would be used for electronic warfare, but now their use as "cruise weapon platforms" for manned fighters has become a priority.
In the budget for 2025, the US Air Force requested about $17 million for development, which will form the basis for creating from 1,000 to 2,000 CCA drones. CCA plans to keep the cost of drone production under strict control, aiming to ensure that the price of one drone is 25% or 30% of the cost of the F-35 (less than $28 million).
Also, as part of the NGAD and CCA programs, in November 2023, the Thanatos drone from Kratos Defense was introduced, which will serve as an "armament truck" carrying missiles for fighter jets, various means of electronic warfare, or even operate independently.
