{"id":166572,"date":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=166572"},"modified":"2024-05-03T20:30:19","modified_gmt":"2024-05-03T20:30:19","slug":"secaf-kendall-experiences-vista-of-future-flight-test-at-edwards-afb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=166572","title":{"rendered":"SecAF Kendall experiences VISTA of future flight test at Edwards AFB"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) — \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall<\/strong><\/a> flew in the front seat of the X-62A VISTA at Edwards Air Force Base, May 2, to experience firsthand the unique aircraft, which incorporates machine learning and highly specialized software to test autonomous flying and other cutting-edge capabilities.<\/p>\n

The most potent feature of the X-62A \u2013 called VISTA for Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft \u2013 is its new tool for developing and testing\u00a0flying capabilities in real-time using machine learning and live agent integration. This technology was successfully tested through a collaboration with Defense Advanced Research Project Agency<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s Air Combat Evolution program. The team was a finalist for the 2023 Robert J. Collier Trophy as an acknowledgment of their breakthrough efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now. In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a transformational moment, all made possible by breakthrough accomplishments of the ACE team,\u201d Kendall said.<\/p>\n

The research division of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School<\/strong><\/a> leads overall program management responsibilities for the X-62A. The division\u2019s primary focus is to lead research that accelerates multidomain capabilities for the warfighter while embracing challenges to rapidly test novel technologies.<\/p>\n

About four years ago the team set out to improve VISTA\u2019s already unique test-training capabilities, which historically allowed it to simulate another aircraft\u2019s flying characteristics, but they didn\u2019t stop there. They created a new capability altogether \u2013 one that did not yet exist in the Department of Defense. They saw the possibility of transforming VISTA into a vehicle for incorporating and testing artificial intelligence theory through the real-time use of live agents.<\/p>\n

VISTA\u2019s initial capabilities were reimagined, reworked and fundamentally expanded, culminating in an upgrade that was completed in 2022 and featured three new highly specialized software suites with significantly more computing power to make it all work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI is really taking the most capable technology you have, putting it together, and using it on problems that previously had to be solved through human decision-making. It\u2019s automation of those decisions and it\u2019s very specific,\u201d Kendall said.<\/p>\n

During Kendall\u2019s flight, the X-62A conducted a variety of tactical maneuvers utilizing live agents that responded in real time to a simulated threat. He completed a series of test points, which were parts of an aerial dogfight within an operation that validated the models and tested its performance. Sitting in the front seat, the controls of the X-62A remained untouched by both Kendall and the safety pilot in the backseat throughout the entire test flight.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

U.S. Air Force Logo<\/title><\/p><\/div>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) — \u00a0 Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall flew in the front seat of the X-62A VISTA at Edwards Air Force Base, May 2, to experience firsthand the unique aircraft, which incorporates machine learning and highly specialized software to test autonomous flying and other cutting-edge capabilities. The most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":166574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-166572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=166572"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":166575,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166572\/revisions\/166575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/166574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=166572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=166572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=166572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}