OpenTube

X-62 - The AI Fighter Pilot Just Got a Lot More Dangerous!

The Mover and Gonky Show

18,297 views

The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works have taken another step toward autonomous air combat. During HAVE HEAT testing, AI agents controlling the X-62 VISTA used real-time data from a Legion Pod infrared search and track system to conduct 27 autonomous intercepts over eight flights.

What do you think? How significant is closing the sensor-to-action loop with AI? How quickly could technology like this make its way into Collaborative Combat Aircraft? Where should the human remain in the decision-making process? Let us know in the comments below!

Full Episode Here:
https://youtube.com/live/d9Ip2Jalfys

Links To Source:
https://theaviationist.com/2026/08/04...

Check Out Our Website!
https://www.themoverandgonkyshow.com

For sponsorships and business inquiries:
themoverandgonkyshow@gmail.com

Most Mondays at 8PM ET, Mover (F-16, F/A-18, T-38, 737, 787, helicopter pilot, author, cop, and wanna-be race car driver) and Gonky (F/A-18, T-38, A320, dirt bike racer, author, and awesome dad) discuss everything from aviation to racing to life and anything in between.

More About Mover:
@cwlemoine

Looking for a good book?
https://www.cwlemoine.com

More About Gonky:
@therealgonky

Kids Coloring and Activity Books!
https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/...

The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.

Views presented are our own or our guests and do not represent the views of DoW or its Components.

The views of our guests do not represent the views of The Mover & Gonky Show.

20 Comments

@stevehalpin7460 1 month ago

"Maybe I could learn how to be a truck driver. Mav, do you have the number of that truck driving school we saw on TV, Truck Master I think it is?" - Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

@Diddly-squat-d7z 1 month ago

No worries, Cyberdyne and Skynet are here to keep you safe.

@aaronseet2738 1 month ago

Pilot: You just shot down a friendly aircraft.

X-62: You're absolutely right. It is my fault for not carefully paying attention to aircraft silhoutte and roundel.

@gregstovall3079 1 month ago

I remember as a Test Engineer on a Navy antiship missile system sitting in the Bravo seat of an F4 monitoring a capture carry test of the missile as it was looking for its target. I needed to see where the radar was looking and directing the control surfaces to fly in that direction. I was directing the pilot to follow where the missile wanted to go. We continued to the point of where the missile would execute its pop-up maneuver to dive onto the target. The flight was conducted mostly at sea skimming altitudes.

@jbmann4796 1 month ago

A very excellent discussion. Thank you gentlemen.

@DogFatherTBH 1 month ago

these guys are like the last generation of the ultimate fighting machine pilots. theyve both done it. soon no one else will. and it will be a bygone era

@mikedc 1 month ago

I love the top gun maverick line

@FlyingBootable 1 month ago

I'd be more worried about an ED-209 incident than a Skynet if I were flying with those things.

@bendummer8084 1 month ago

My problem with removing humans from the 'kill chain' is that once you do that going to war is at a much lower cost to the politicians who start wars, but civilians will continue to die in those wars... (I'll put my tin hat on for the replies)

@OldGuyAmerican 1 month ago

Stuff is getting real!

@jeffhager7787 1 month ago

But Lt. Dan, the F-16 ain’t got no ailerons!!!

@ericp1139 1 month ago

They need to shield it from lightning strikes. We’ve seen the movies.

@samanthajones4877 1 month ago

“Dog fight brothers” are gonna dog fight.

@johnt6213 1 month ago

When it comes down to it, BFM is just physics. It's going to know exactly what it can do and it's going to learn and remember EVERYTHING the adversary can do.

@darrelcrane5138 1 month ago

Biggest advantage is no GLOC for the AI.

@CaptainJerryDonnelly 1 month ago

I retired as a Ship Captain 13 years ago. A few years before, I knew GPS would take a lot of mundane navigation jobs away.

@RickOSidhe 1 month ago

Can't wait for autonomous AI in a contested airspace containing commercial traffic. Thinking of the almost-shootdown of that BA Concorde that was transiting the Red Sea back in 1980.

@Crackle1983 1 month ago

The transition of the current inventory to full AI controlled combat aircraft will be the easiest sell. Here's your "Pink Slip" Humanity.

@rogerlafrance6355 1 month ago

Back in the 60's the F-106 with SAGE control, could do intercepts, needing the pilot only for takeoff and landing and monitoring. The brain was the BUIC2 Computer on the ground controlling the aircraft or missile, with a UHF data link. Pilots hated it but impressive considering the technology of the time. AC&W still needs to be in the loop for identification, targeting and more.