Cubic Defense Joins DARPA ACE Program

Cubic Defense will now be part of the team of academia, government, and private industry partners collaborating in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program.

Utilizing a specially modified F-16 equipped with autonomous AI control known as the X-62A or VISTA (Variable In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft), the DARPA ACE program strives to increase trust in combat autonomy by using human-machine collaborative dogfighting as its challenge problem. The program aims to increase realism to measure, increase and predict human trust during combat autonomy performance – creating safer and more reliable applications for defense and commercial aircraft.

“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now. In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a transformational moment, all made possible by breakthrough accomplishments of the X-62A ACE team,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall.

To generate optimum follow-on maneuvering in real world conditions, the X-62A’s AI engine has integrated high-fidelity Time Space Position Information (TSPI) from Cubic’s SLATE (Secure Live Virtual and Constructive Advanced Training Environment) system. With SLATE equipped on both the X-62A and the piloted F-16, the program achieved the first in-air tests of AI algorithms autonomously flying within-visual-range combat scenarios against a human-flown F-16.

“The ACE program embodies state-of-the-art technology with a modern, complex use case to solve real-world problems at an exponential rate,” said Paul K. Averna, Vice President and General Manager of Advanced Training Solutions for Cubic Defense. “In addition to TSPI data, SLATE injects synthetic entities and computer-generated forces into operational scenarios—bringing the realistic pacing of multi-domain, high-end threat environments to the live cockpits and operator consoles. Tomorrow’s fight will be different; our Joint and Coalition operators deserve a fully vetted system that ensures combat readiness today and in the future with AI-enabled platforms.”