The US Air Force is Creating a Fleet of AI-Powered Drones
Under the pressure of China's increasing military might, the Pentagon has launched a program to ramp up the production of drones. The US Air Force has requested nearly $6 billion in federal funding over the next five years to create a fleet of 2000 XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aircraft, as reported by Engadget.
The Valkyries are supplied by Kratos Defence & Security Solutions as part of the US Air Force's Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator (LCASD) program. These 9-meter-long drones weigh 1100 kilograms without fuel and can carry up to 500 kilograms of ordnance.
The XQ-58 was developed as a stealthy escort aircraft to support the F-22 and F-35 (the most advanced and powerful combat aircraft in America's arsenal, costing $143 million and $75 million respectively) during combat missions. The US Air Force is also considering the possibility of using the XQ-58 for other roles such as surveillance and resupply.
This month, Kratos conducted a three-hour demonstration of the XQ-58 under artificial intelligence control at the Eglin Air Force Base. "It's a very strange feeling. I'm flying next to something that's making its own decisions. And it's not a human brain," shared Major-Test Pilot Ross Elder of the US Air Force. However, the Pentagon emphasizes that drones must remain under the control of human pilots and commanders.
In June, Colonel Tucker Hamilton, Chief of Testing and Operations for the US Air Force, suggested at a conference that artificial intelligence could potentially outsmart its operator. Nonetheless, the Ministry of Defense stated that Colonel Hamilton "misphrased" his statement.
"Any US Air Force drone will be designed in a way that enables commanders and operators to exercise a proper level of human judgment regarding the use of force," stated the Pentagon's press secretary in an interview with The New York Times.
The budget request for the Pentagon will be considered in Congress. If approved, the XQ-58 program will require an initial expenditure of $3.3 billion in 2024.
It's worth mentioning that Ukraine has developed its own maritime drone, MAGURA V5, designed for attacks on Russian surface targets. It can carry up to 300 kg of explosives over a distance of up to 800 km. Learn more in The Gaze video.