Battle Manager-Pilot Commands AI-controlled Aircraft In Real Time During Skunk Works Test
Using a touchscreen pilot interface, a human “battle manager” in the cockpit of a flying aircraft gave real-time commands to AI-controlled aircraft.
Skunk Works, Lockheed Martin’s secretive advanced projects division, along with its Demonstrations and Prototypes team and the University of Iowa’s Operator Performance Lab (OPL), recently pulled off a crewed-uncrewed teaming mission. A human “battle manager” in the cockpit of an airborne aircraft used a touchscreen interface to issue real-time commands to AI-controlled planes.
During flight tests, the teams simulated an air combat mission: the human battle manager aboard an L-39 Albatros assigned targets to two AI-powered L-29 Delfin jets. The AI-controlled jets worked together to take on two mock enemy planes, using virtual mission systems and weapons to carry out the task.
John Clark, head of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, said:
“This work with the University of Iowa’s OPL is laying the groundwork for the future of air combat, where manned and unmanned systems will team up for complex missions. It’s exciting to bring together so many talents to push the boundaries of this new approach.”
These tests build on earlier trials that focused on AI handling tasks like air-to-ground jamming and locating targets. This time, the focus shifted to air-to-air combat, where AI directly controls the planes via their autopilot systems. It’s the third test of its kind but the first with a human overseeing the AI in real time.