On Monday, the Pentagon’s No. 1 weapons supplier, Lockheed Martin Corp. announced that the VISTA X-62A recently completed a series of test flights during which the aircraft was fully controlled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) for an astounding 17+ hours.
VISTA, short for Modified In-Flight Experimental Aircraft, is changing the face of air power at the United States Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) at Edwards Air Force Base in california.
The VISTA is a one-of-a-kind trainer aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in collaboration with Calspan Corporation for the United States Air Force TPS. Built on an open systems architecture, VISTA is equipped with software that allows it to mimic the operational characteristics of other aircraft.
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“VISTA will allow us to parallelize the development and testing of advanced artificial intelligence techniques with new driverless vehicle designs,” said Dr. Christopher Cotting, director of research for the US Air Force Test Pilot School. “This approach, combined with centralized testing on new vehicle systems as they are in production, will rapidly develop autonomy for unassembled platforms and allow us to provide the ability to tactically suitable for his warriors.”
Recent upgrades to the US Air Force include an updated VISTA Simulation System (VSS) powered by Calspan, Lockheed Martin’s Model Tracking Algorithm (MFA) and an Automated Simulation Control System (SACS). The integrated SACS and MFA systems provide new capabilities for VISTA so that it can be used to conduct the most advanced flight test experiments with an emphasis on autonomy and AI.
The more than 17-hour flight of an AI agent took place as part of a test series in December.
VISTA is a modified F-16D Block 30 Peace Marble Il aircraft with Block 40 avionics. Formerly designated NF-16D, in June 2021 VISTA has been recognized by the United States Air Force and is designated a national asset with the official re-designation of VISTA X-62A.
This new mission system capability with VSS, MFA, and SACS emphasizes accelerating autonomous aircraft algorithm development and integration. At the heart of the SACS system is Skunk Works’ Enterprise Open Systems Architecture (E-OSA), which powers the Enterprise Mission Computer version 2 (EMC2) or “Einstein Box” .
Additional SACS components include integration of advanced sensors, a Multi-Level Security solution and a set of Getac tablet displays in both cockpits. These components enhance VISTA’s capabilities while maintaining the advantage of rapid prototyping, specifically enabling rapid software changes to increase the frequency of test flights and accelerate AI development and autonomy to meet urgent national security needs.
For decades, Lockheed Martin has adopted and deployed trusted AI technologies to help its customers maximize performance, safety, and situational awareness across all sectors. Lockheed Martin deployments keep everyone in control while making them safer, more efficient, and better able to focus on higher-level tasks by empowering them to make informed decisions more transparently quickly.
VISTA will continue to play an integral role in the rapid evolution of AI and autonomy for the US Air Force. It is currently undergoing a series of periodic checks. Flights will continue at Edwards Air Force Base through 2023.
