Navy F/A-18 Squadron Commander's Take On AI Repeatedly Beating Real Pilot In Dogfight
Everyone has an opinion when it comes to the stunning results of DARPA's AlphaDogfight trials, now hear what the skipper of a fighter squadron thinks.
By Commander Colin 'Farva' PriceAugust 24, 2020
The recent 5 to 0 victory of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) pilot developed by Heron Systems over an Air Force F-16 human pilot does not have me scrambling to send out applications for a new job. However, I was impressed by the AlphaDogfight trials and recognize its value in determining where the military can capitalize on AI applications.
For most military aviators, it may be easy to scoff at the artificiality of the contest. I may have even mumbled, “Never would have happened to a Navy pilot…†Instead, I think it is important not to get wrapped too much around the axle about the rules of the contest and instead focus on a couple of details that really jumped out at me on the advantages an AI pilot would have over a human pilot.
For the contest setup, the argument about the death of the dogfight, or that there is no need for within visual range engagements anymore is a tired one. There was a pretty popular movie in the ‘80s about that very argument, so I am not going to rehash it here. The fact is we still constantly train to dogfight in the Navy, or as it is more commonly referred to 'Basic Fighter Maneuvers,' or BFM for short
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/35947/navy-f-a-18-squadron-commanders-take-on-ai-repeatedly-beating-real-pilot-in-dogfight
