Overview
- Test teams at Eglin Air Force Base fitted six F-16C fighters with a VENOM Autonomy Kit that adds sensors, an auto‑throttle, and a switchable interface so an AI agent can control flight without changing the jet’s core software.
- The team began ground and simulation validation in 2024, completed flight checks in June 2026, and conducted in‑air sorties in July 2026 where an AI agent flew a VENOM‑modified F-16 while a pilot remained onboard to monitor and retain override authority.
- Engineers preserved the F-16’s original flight software and added hardware and interfaces so autonomy software can be swapped and iterated quickly for repeated testing on a conventional platform.
- Program leaders emphasize safety controls: pilots can start, stop, or retake control in real time, the autonomy is limited by flight‑envelope protections and auto‑throttle safeguards, and the effort combines developmental and operational testing.
- DARPA and the Air Force say VENOM will test multiple autonomy agents and feed lessons into DARPA’s AIR and the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft and wider uncrewed/crew‑offload plans, though officials have not disclosed the specific algorithms or vendors used.