EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, working with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and industry partners, has completed a series of flight tests demonstrating autonomous air intercepts using operational infrared sensor data while advancing the X-62A Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA) into an increasingly capable open-architecture research platform for artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and mission systems integration.
During the HAVE HEAT flight test campaign, the X-62A executed 27 autonomous intercepts over eight flights using Lockheed Martin's Legion Pod infrared search-and-track (IRST) sensor to provide real-time targeting information to an onboard artificial intelligence agent. According to Lockheed Martin and the Air Force, the demonstrations moved beyond simulation by allowing the autonomy software to process live airborne sensor data and autonomously maneuver the aircraft into tactical intercept positions against an airborne T-38 target.
Mission Systems Upgrade
While the autonomous intercepts represent an important milestone in airborne AI research, the broader significance for military aerospace engineers may lie in the continuing evolution of the X-62 itself. The aircraft is undergoing a Mission Systems Upgrade (MSU) intended to transform it into a modular flight laboratory capable of rapidly integrating new sensors, computing hardware, networking technologies, and autonomous software developed by government, industry, and academia.
Related: Lockheed's Skunk Works installs GE engine on NASA's X-59 supersonic aircraft
In parallel with HAVE HEAT, the Air Force conducted the HAVE HOLIDAYS integration campaign, which focused on expanding the aircraft's Enterprise Open Mission Systems Architecture computing environment. According to the Air Force, researchers integrated a third-party autonomous software agent, evaluated enhanced autonomy safety constraints designed to prevent AI systems from exceeding operator-defined limits, and incorporated additional computing hardware to support advanced sensor processing.
The combined demonstrations were completed within approximately three months, a timeline the Air Force attributed to the aircraft's modular architecture and integrated government-industry development team. Officials said the rapid integration approach is intended to increase experimentation tempo while reducing technical risk for future autonomy research.
The next phase of the Mission Systems Upgrade will expand the aircraft's sensor suite and onboard processing capabilities. Planned additions include RTX's PhantomStrike active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, increased onboard computing capacity, and modern networked communications designed to support future distributed and collaborative autonomous operations.
Together with the existing Legion Pod infrared search-and-track sensor, those upgrades will allow researchers to evaluate autonomy algorithms using multiple operational sensor types while investigating sensor fusion, onboard AI inference, and distributed mission execution within a common flight test environment.
Outfitted Falcon
Originally developed from an F-16D Fighting Falcon, the X-62A has served for decades as the Air Force's Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft, capable of emulating the handling characteristics of multiple aircraft through software-defined flight control systems. More recently, the platform became the centerpiece of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program, where it demonstrated AI-controlled within-visual-range maneuvering and human-machine teaming concepts.
Related: DARPA to outfit F-16D jet fighter with artificial intelligence (AI) to boost trust in AI as a human partner
The current Mission Systems Upgrade expands the aircraft's role beyond flight controls research by integrating operational mission systems, sensors, and modular computing architectures into a government-owned testbed for evaluating emerging airborne autonomy technologies.
According to the Air Force, maintaining a dedicated research aircraft under the Test Pilot School provides a common operating environment for evaluating artificial intelligence while supporting development of future flight test methodologies and advancing human-machine teaming concepts.
The Air Force Test Pilot School and the Test Resource Management Center are scheduled to host the inaugural X-62 Research Symposium Aug. 11-13 at Edwards Air Force Base to discuss ongoing research and future development efforts.
