DARPA and the U.S. Air Force announced that on July 16, 2026 they conducted an autonomous flight test of a modified F-16 fighter jet at Eglin Air Force Base under the VENOM (Viper Experimentation and Next-generation Operations Model) program. An AI agent controlled the aircraft in flight while a human safety pilot retained the ability to take back control through a dedicated switch. Program manager Brig. Gen. James Valpiani said the test advances infrastructure for trusted autonomous air combat capabilities, building on earlier flights of the experimental X-62A VISTA aircraft.
