General Atomics claims fully autonomous AI-piloted flight with Avenger MQ-20A
Avenger MQ-20A, formerly known as Predator C. (Photo: USN)
A company-owned Avenger MQ-20A UAS was used on 12 September by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to fly a military aircraft with an AI pilot and operationally relevant mission systems software.
The company revealed on 19 September that the ‘completely autonomous flight’ with the AI pilot lasted for about 30 minutes as part of a ‘cooperating live, virtual, and constructive UAS swarm’.
General Atomics employed its Reinforcement Learning (RL) architecture to develop and validate an RL agent in an operationally relevant environment — specifically, enabling ‘chase and avoid’ behaviour in which real-time updates were made to the flight path in order to avoid adversaries using live fused tracks.
The live tracks were provided to the system using a TacIRST embeddable infrared search and track sensor system supplied by Lockheed Martin.
General Dynamics Mission Systems supplied the mission computer for the flight, which is part of a series by General Atomics to demonstrate AI and machine learning concepts for advanced UAS.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
DSEI 2025: ‘Future force’ a focus but questions remain on core UK air programmes
Focused on shaping the armed forces for the fight ahead, DSEI will hone in on new technology and small and medium enterprises to help lead the sector forward.
-
Insight: What future remains for the E-7 Wedgetail aircraft?
The surveillance aircraft from Boeing is deployed by various countries, most notably the Royal Australian Air Force; but ongoing setbacks for future customers, who cite rising costs and delays, have thrown the aircraft into the spotlight.
-
India fast-tracks helicopter procurement with dual RFIs for 276 platforms
India has issued urgent RFIs for more than 270 reconnaissance, surveillance and utility helicopters across its services, signalling a systemic overhaul of rotary-wing capabilities with a renewed emphasis on indigenous production and technology transfer.
-
How can you own the sky?
With an unparalleled range of solutions, RTX is equipping pilots with a distinct advantage, before the mission even begins.
-
DSEI 2025: Saab unveils new CUAS missile solution to defeat UAS swarms
The Nimbrix missile has been developed and tested over the last year and is Saab’s latest cost-effective answer to help armed forces counteract escalating numbers of uncrewed aerial threats on the battlefield.