As the experimental F-16 jet, named Vista, performed lightning-fast manoeuvres at nearly 550 mph over Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall was seated in the cockpit.
Mr. Kendall’s flight was an additional demonstration of artificial intelligence following last month’s first-ever combat between a human pilot and a fighter jet driven by AI.
The US Air Force plans to have more than 1,000 of the AI-controlled jets in the upcoming years. Thursday’s flight lasted for an hour.
“Its absence poses a security risk. We have to have it now,” Mr. Kendall remarked as he ascended, beaming.
