DARPA ACE

DARPA's Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program develops and tests AI algorithms for aerial combat operations, including autonomous dogfighting against human pilots and human-machine collaboration, using modified F-16 (X-62A VISTA) and TA-4 aircraft, initially in simulations and progressing to full-scale live flights. The program, which began around 2018-2020, achieved key milestones such as AI vs. human dogfights in September 2023 and the Air Force Secretary's flight in May 2024, and has advanced to Phase 2 with ongoing flight testing to build trust in combat autonomy. From a defense-intelligence perspective, ACE holds strategic significance by maturing AI for uncrewed systems to operate alongside crewed fighters, informing programs like the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) for scalable autonomous operations against near-peer threats.