Latest news with #EpiSci
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
World's only privately owned F-16 gets invisible AI wingman that exists only in code
Top Aces, the sole commercial operator of F-16 aircraft specialized in advanced air combat training, has made a significant announcement that could reshape the adversary air (ADAIR) sector. In partnership with EpiSci, Coherent Technical Services Inc. (CTSi), and Seger Aviation LLC, the company has introduced a novel AI-driven autonomous constructive wingman customized for the Red Air industry. This innovation is intended to simulate sophisticated adversary aircraft's flight characteristics and maneuvers within a live-virtual-constructive (LVC) training framework. Russ Quinn, the President of Top Aces Corp., who brings experience as a U.S. Air Force veteran and former Aggressor pilot, commented on the development. 'The launch of a constructive wingman is a significant step forward and represents a new standard in the ADAIR field. By incorporating AI-driven wingmen, we aim to enhance training effectiveness, creating more complex and challenging scenarios for Beyond Visual Range (BVR) targeting. At the same time, this feature allows pilots to train against live, agile 4th Generation fighters,' he stated. CTSi was crucial in integrating the constructive wingman into the F-16 Advanced Aggressor Fighters (AAF) using the open Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS) architecture. This system features an innovative Hands-On Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) interface, enabling Top Aces pilots to manage wingman formations and movements, coordinating with their F-16s. As a result, this setup creates additional BVR targeting complexity for pilots flying 5th-generation aircraft. Each AI-driven wingman is presented as an adversary Link-16 track in training exercises, allowing for more adversarial units during BVR training segments while reducing operational costs. Dan Javorsek, President of EpiSci, who has extensive experience flying various 4th and 5th Generation fighters, believed in the impact of AI on training routines. 'Having flown numerous platforms, I understand the unique challenges and opportunities that AI introduces to air combat training. This represents the future of how we prepare our forces. The inclusion of AI-driven wingmen will push training limits while maintaining the benefits offered by live-fly 4th Generation adversaries. We are eager to advance this project and provide enhanced software capabilities to our military personnel,' he noted. With operational testing and evaluation approaching completion, Top Aces plans to expand its constructive wingman initiative to add further training capabilities for its clients. The developments in control, autonomy, and interface from this initiative are expected to pave the way for future unmanned collaborative adversary platforms, positioning Top Aces at the forefront of advanced training solutions in the industry. Top Aces has amassed over 130,000 accident-free flight hours, and its subsidiaries provide essential training for ADAIR and joint terminal attack controllers (JTAC) to premier armed forces worldwide. The company boasts the largest fleet of commercially operated fighter aircraft currently in service and is the only commercial operator of the F-16. Its training programs aim to enhance the operational readiness of combat forces by offering real-world experiences while achieving significant cost efficiencies and extending the operational lifespan of military aircraft. This latest advancement in training technology underscores the innovation within military aviation and highlights the ongoing commitment to improving the preparedness of armed forces worldwide.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Applied Intuition acquires AI software firm EpiSci
Software company Applied Intuition announced Thursday it acquired Silicon Valley autonomy firm EpiSci, whose technology has supported a slew of Pentagon programs aimed at integrating AI with military platforms. The move positions Applied, which has until now focused largely on dual-use autonomous technology for land systems, to expand its portfolio into other domains. 'We've done a lot of on-the-ground, land autonomy,' Applied's CEO Qasar Younis told Defense News. 'And we thought one area we could augment its portfolio is in other domains — in the air and on the sea ... and space as well.' EpiSci, founded in 2012, builds AI software for a number of defense applications, including surface warfare, maritime tracking, space-based missile tracking satellites and uncrewed aircraft. Last year, the Air Force used the company's software to stage the first-ever dogfights between an F-16 and an experimental fighter jet, the X-62A VISTA. US Air Force stages dogfights with AI-flown fighter jet Meanwhile, Applied has developed a suite of simulation, validation and data management software. The firm's technology is used by a range of industries — from automotive, trucking and agriculture to defense. In 2022, the Army and the Defense Innovation Unit selected the firm to provide a platform to develop and test autonomous software for the Robotic Combat Vehicle program. And last month, the Pentagon's Chief Digital and AI Office awarded the company a production contract worth up to $171 million for its software development and testing platform. Jason Brown, general manager of Applied's defense business, said the Defense Department's focus on uncrewed systems — specifically through the Replicator initiative to field thousands of low-cost expendable drones — is driving significant growth in the autonomy market. That growth means more opportunities not only for drone manufacturing firms, but for companies like Applied and EpiSci, that can equip both new and legacy systems with autonomy software. 'We want to be a part of that,' Brown said in the same interview with Younis. 'This is potentially retrofitting a lot of existing legacy systems. This is a big market that is about to explode. We're going to be able to take advantage of all of it.'
