- A test pilot stays in the cockpit and can flip between human and AI control with a switch
- Engineers automated the jet’s controls and sensors without touching its core software
- The work sets the stage for pilots to command teams of uncrewed aircraft
An artificial intelligence agent has autonomously controlled a modified F-16 in flight for the first time under the Viper Experimentation and Next-generation Operations Model, or VENOM, program. VENOM is a program jointly run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force to turn standard fighters into AI testbeds. DARPA announced the milestone Thursday.
The in-air testing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, marks a step beyond the Air Combat Evolution program’s earlier flights with the X-62A VISTA, which showed an AI agent could engage in a close-range aerial battle. VENOM’s significance lies in the airframe. The AI flew an operational-fleet F-16 rather than a purpose-built experimental jet, demonstrating that ordinary aircraft can be converted to carry advanced autonomy.
Brig. Gen. James Valpiani, a DARPA program manager, said the team automated the F-16’s flight controls and sensors without altering the jet’s core software, creating an efficient development pipeline for aerial combat AI.
How Does the VENOM Autonomy Kit Keep Pilots in Control?
The modification, called the VENOM Autonomy Kit, interfaces with the aircraft’s flight controls and mission systems, allowing the pilot to switch between human and AI control with a flip of a switch, preserving a safe human-in-the-loop test environment. A test pilot remains in the cockpit throughout to monitor the agent and safeguard flight objectives. According to the Air Force, the modified jets began airworthiness flights in June before progressing to autonomous control in July, capping ground testing and simulation work stretching back to 2024.
What Comes Next Under DARPA’s AIR Program?
The VENOM fleet now serves as the backbone of DARPA’s Artificial Intelligence Reinforcements, or AIR, program, which will run multiple AI agents through live-flight scenarios, laying the groundwork for human pilots to orchestrate teams of uncrewed aircraft and for efforts such as the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. Valpiani, who leaves DARPA later this month, said AIR aims to answer hard questions about the trustworthiness of combat AI in beyond-visual-range engagements. Lt. Col. Patrick Highland, the incoming AIR program manager, said the flights offer an early look at how AI agents may begin reshaping air warfare, with multi-ship combat autonomy as the goal.
