US Air Force prepares to test uncrewed F-16 VISTA in challenging scenarios
The X-62 VISTA flies from the Hill Air Force Base, Utah. (Photo: US Air Force)
Th mission systems upgrade of the X-62 VISTA variant of the F-16 will allow the air force to evaluate the jet in more demanding environments.
The US Air Force (USAF) is conducting a mission systems upgrade (MSU) of the F-16 purpose-adapted for the X-62 Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA) programme. The improvements added to the testbed platform will enable the service to conduct uncrewed trials in more challenging scenarios.
As part of the MSU, the USAF Test Pilot School (TPS) is currently working on expanding the jet capabilities to provide better infrastructure for autonomy testing.
Funded by the branch’s Test Resource Management Centre, this stage involves advancing radar and sensor integration to prepare the VISTA’s artificial intelligence (AI) capacities to increase collaboration
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