DARPA, U.S. Air Force fly AI-controlled F-16

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Source: U.S. Air Force | Samuel King Jr., 96th Test Wing July 16, 2026 Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. — A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet, recently modified to serve as an autonomous flying testbed, is undergoing in-air testing using an artificial intelligence (AI) agent to autonomously control flight. This milestone advances state of the art technological infrastructure designed to enable rapid, scalable combat AI development across the joint force.

The aircraft is one of a group of F-16s that have been converted into autonomous-capable platforms under the Viper Experimentation and Next-generation Operations Model (VENOM) program — a joint effort between the U.S. Air Force and DARPA, initiated under the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program .

Building on previous ACE flights with the one-of-a-kind X-62A VISTA, which proved an AI agent could autonomously pilot a fighter jet in a dogfight, the flight of the VENOM aircraft demonstrates the United States’ ability to transform standard operational fleet aircraft to employ cutting-edge AI.

“These groundbreaking flight tests of VENOM-modified F-16s advance the infrastructure needed to develop trusted, autonomous air combat capabilities,” said Brig. Gen. James “Fangs” Valpiani, Ph.D., DARPA program manager . “The Air Force and DARPA team has automated flight controls and sensors on a standard F-16 without changing the jet’s core software. This enables an efficient pipeline for developing dominant AI for aerial combat, allowing us to rapidly innovate for the warfighter.”

The modification, known as the VENOM Autonomy Kit (VAK), was designed and integrated by multiple performers under the DARPA ACE program. The kit utilizes a novel interface with the aircraft’s flight controls and mission systems, allowing a pilot to toggle between traditional human control and AI control with the flip of a switch. This ensures a safe, reliable environment for human-on-the-loop experimentation.

Moving forward, VENOM aircraft will serve as the cornerstone for the next phase of AI development under DARPA’s Artificial Intelligence Reinforcements (AIR) program . The AIR program will leverage the VENOM fleet to test multiple AI agents in live-flight scenarios. This critical testing will pave the way for human pilots to seamlessly command and orchestrate teams of autonomous, uncrewed aircraft. Ultimately, the capabilities advanced under AIR will enable a wide variety of future joint force operations, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs.