The Operator Performance Laboratory collaborated with Lockheed Martin on a field test in which an airborne battle manager issued real-time commands to AI-controlled aircraft through a touchscreen pilot vehicle interface.
In a news release, Lockheed described the exercise.
In a series of flight tests, the Skunk Works and OPL teams simulated an offensive counter air mission where an airborne, human "battle manager" aboard an L-39 Albatros assigned targets to two AI-controlled L-29 Delfin jets, which then worked together to defeat two mock enemy jets using simulated mission systems and weapons.
"The work we're doing with the University of Iowa's OPL is foundational for the future of air combat, where a family of crewed and uncrewed systems will work together to execute complex missions," said John Clark, vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. "We're excited to leverage our diverse skillsets to advance all elements of this new way of operating."
The successful demonstration has gained attention in the aviation industry. The Aviationist, a military aviation website, has been tracking the role of AI in advancing air combat tactics, and weighed in on the project.
The scenario of the recent test, where a “battle manager” in the cockpit used a touchscreen interface to command AI-controlled aircraft, aligns with the Loyal Wingman concept: the idea is to integrate AI-driven systems (the Loyal Wingman aircraft) with human piloted platforms, where the AI systems can carry out assigned tasks, such as surveillance, combat, or tactical operations, under the guidance of the human operator. This enhances mission flexibility, reduces risk to human pilots, and improves the overall effectiveness of the mission by leveraging AI for faster decision-making.
Another publication, The War Zone, produced a report exploring the significance of these advances as well as the important role OPL plays, not just with Lockheed but also with others in the industry.
As The War Zone has highlighted in the past, there are significant benefits to using piloted or pilot-optional platforms as surrogates for drones in tests within the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently imposes significant restrictions on truly uncrewed flight operations inside U.S. airspace. This, in turn, means that pilot-optional aircraft presents significant benefits, especially research and development and test and evaluation activities. Having a human pilot onboard can help accelerate certain kinds of testing and also provides an extra margin of safety.
The U.S. military and other companies beyond Lockheed Martin, such as Shield AI, have used OPLs L-29s, as well as contractor-operated L-39s and other pilot-optional platforms, to support advanced autonomy and drone development efforts in the past for exactly these reasons. In addition, despite continual advances in what can be done in virtual environments through advanced modeling and simulation, being able to conduct live testing remains very important, in general.