A new autonomous fighter jet just broke cover. It's powered by the same AI brain that flew an F-16 through a dogfight.

"The AI that powered an F-16 in a dogfight against a manned aircraft is powering a new, fully autonomous fighter jet, its maker said as it unveiled the new aircraft design. US defense tech unicorn Shield AI unveiled its new X-BAT fighter aircraft on Wednesday. The company says that it can operate without human pilots and without runways. It said it can take off from islands and ships - not just warships, but also container ships."

"Armor Harris, Shield AI's senior vice president of aircraft engineering, told Business Insider that the brain for the new aircraft is the company's Hivemind, "the same combat-proven AI pilot we used to fly a modified F-16 through a dogfight," a reference to a landmark 2024 test. Last year, during a testing exercise, the AI-driven X-62A Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA), a modified F-16, went head-to-head with a crewed fighter aircraft in aerial combat. The military never said which aircraft emerged victorious."

"Powered by Hivemind, the new X-BAT can complete missions without human pilot involvement and can advance without GPS or reliable communications, Shield AI told Business Insider. Artificial intelligence-enabled systems are considered necessary developments to break through contested areas that traditional crewed aircraft may be unable to navigate safely, or at all. Pilotless fighters are also not bound by the same design limitations meant to protect a human pilot."

Shield AI unveiled X-BAT, a fully autonomous multirole fighter powered by the Hivemind AI pilot. The Hivemind previously piloted a modified F-16 through a landmark dogfight test and has flown the X-62A VISTA against crewed fighters. X-BAT can operate without human pilots, take off from islands and container ships, and function without GPS or reliable communications. AI-enabled capabilities aim to enable operations in contested areas that crewed aircraft may struggle to enter. Pilotless fighters avoid design constraints required for human safety, allowing different performance and mission profiles.

Read at Business Insider