A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet, recently modified to serve as an autonomous flying testbed, is undergoing in-air testing using an artificial intelligence (AI) agent to autonomously control flight. This milestone advances state of the art technological infrastructure designed to enable rapid, scalable combat AI development across the joint force. The aircraft is one of a group of F-16s that have been converted into autonomous-capable platforms under the Viper Experimentation and Next-generation Operations Model (VENOM) program — a joint effort between the U.S. Air Force and DARPA, initiated under the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program. Building on previous ACE flights with the one-of-a-kind X-62A VISTA, which proved an AI agent could autonomously pilot a fighter jet in a dogfight, the flight of the VENOM aircraft demonstrates the United States’ ability to transform standard operational fleet aircraft to employ cutting-edge AI. The modification, known as the VENOM Autonomy Kit (VAK), was designed and integrated by multiple performers under the DARPA ACE program. The kit utilizes a novel interface with the aircraft’s flight controls and mission systems, allowing a pilot to toggle between traditional human control and AI control with the flip of a switch. This ensures a safe, reliable environment for human-on-the-loop experimentation.
“These groundbreaking flight tests of VENOM-modified F-16s advance the infrastructure needed to develop trusted, autonomous air combat capabilities. The Air Force and DARPA team has automated flight controls and sensors on a standard F-16 without changing the jet’s core software. This enables an efficient pipeline for developing dominant AI for aerial combat, allowing us to rapidly innovate for the warfighter. The emerging threat environment, especially as it relates to aerial combat, is growing increasingly complex. AI has tremendous potential to help humans manage this complexity in beyond-visual-range combat, but many hard questions remain concerning the performance and trustworthiness of combat AI in the extreme fog and friction of modern warfare. The AIR program aims to apply cutting-edge combat agents to operationally relevant scenarios to address these questions and field war-deterring, war-winning capabilities to our warfighters.,” said Brig. Gen. James “Fangs” Valpiani, Ph.D., DARPA program manager.
An F-16 Fighting Falcon modified for the Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model – Autonomy Flying Testbed (VENOM) program conducts flight operations during autonomous systems testing June 2026 at Eglin Air Force Base. (Photo by U.S. Air Force/Samuel King Jr., 96th Test Wing)
“I’m incredibly proud of the AIR program’s role in advancing our nation’s combat autonomy, demonstrated by this VENOM milestone. We now have the opportunity to create dominant autonomy for beyond-visual-range, multi-ship combat. These flights give us an early glimpse of how AI agents may begin actively transforming air warfare,” said Lt. Col. Patrick “Dice” Highland, Ph.D.. He has recently joined DARPA, and is the incoming program manager for AIR.
“I share Gen. Valpiani’s deep appreciation for the incredible dedication of our DARPA and industry teammates, joint engineers, the System Program Office, Eglin’s test and maintenance crews, and the entire AIR and VENOM ecosystem which has made this milestone possible. I look forward to unleashing the VENOM platform and moving these capabilities out of simulation and into the sky,” Terry Wilson, Ph.D., director of AI Development and Transition for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Autonomy Capability Team (ACT3).
Terry Wilson remains in place as the deputy program manager for VENOM and AIR. In this capacity, Wilson ensures vital program continuity, technical and operations leadership, and maintains essential stakeholder alignment across joint organizations. This close, enduring partnership between DARPA and AFRL’s ACT3 team remains pivotal to securing the program’s long-term operational success. The AIR program will continue to improve speed and predictivity of model development and scale in-flight testing to multi-ship operations with increased complexity to unlock novel and robust AI-driven autonomy.
