Skunk Works Tests Missile-Evading AI On X-62A

AURORA, Colorado鈥擫ockheed Martin in a recent test showed its autonomy software鈥檚 ability to take control of a fighter jet and evade a simulated incoming missile鈥攖he first time the company tried out tactical AI on its X-62A F-16 testbed.

O.J. Sanchez, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin鈥檚 Skunk Works division, outlined the recent test to reporters ahead of the Air and Space Forces Association鈥檚 Air Warfare Symposium here Feb. 23. The effort, named 鈥淗ave Remy,鈥 occurred late last year at Edwards AFB, California, where the Air Force Test Pilot School flies the Lockheed and Calspan X-62 VISTA test aircraft.

During the test, the X-62 sensed a simulated incoming surface-to-air missile launch and Lockheed鈥檚 AI system executed 鈥渁ppropriate maneuvers鈥 to defend the aircraft without the pilot intervening, Sanchez says. Leading to the test, the AI was trained with 鈥渂illions of simulated missions using Skunk Works鈥 Supermassive simulation engine,鈥 the company says.

The AI system took over the aircraft鈥檚 controls, conducting defensive maneuvers鈥攑ulling just less than 6g and did not go lower than .8 Mach, Sanchez says.

 

Have Remy was an initial test, and Lockheed Martin plans to use it as a springboard into other tests, including using more sensors on the aircraft, Sanchez says. The test was named by the pilots involved, a reference to the Disney movie 鈥淩atatouille,鈥 in which the cartoon rat named Remy controls a human chef.