The last F-16 Fighting Falcon set for autonomous aircraft modification landed April 1. The aircraft marked the final F-16 arrival to be part of the Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model – Autonomy Flying Testbed program, also known as VENOM-AFT. In a hangar nearby, three of those F-16s are in the VENOM modification process. These adjustments involve software, hardware and instrumentation that will eventually allow the autonomy to fly the aircraft. A new physical change to the aircraft will be the inclusion of an auto-throttle. This modification allows the autonomy flying VENOM to regulate the flight control surfaces and the thrust.
“Modifying the aircraft is the result of a rigorous design phase and brings us one step closer to testing autonomy on a fighter jet with real mission systems and capabilities,” said Maj. Trent McMullen, the 40th Flight Test Squadron’s advanced capabilities division chief.
VENOM-AFT is designed and funded to accelerate testing of autonomy software on crewed and uncrewed aircraft. VENOM-AFT complements the autonomy data and artificial intelligence experimentation proving ground at Eglin Air Force Base and informs the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and other autonomy developers. The next step for the VENOM program is to modify the F-16 aircraft into test platforms to rapidly evaluate autonomous capabilities. Similar to F-16 and F-15 testing at Eglin, the VENOM program will undergo developmental and operational testing via the 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron.
During these tests, the pilots will be in the cockpit to monitor the autonomy and ensures flight and mission systems test objectives are met. It’s important to understand the ‘human-on-the-loop’ aspect of this type of testing, meaning that a pilot will be involved in the autonomy in real time and maintain the ability to start and stop specific algorithms. The goal of the VENOM program is to enable the Air Force to rapidly iterate and expand the body of knowledge for potential autonomy and payload solutions.
