DARPA and the U.S. Air Force are conducting Human-On-The-Loop aerial testing of an AI-enabled F-16 modified with the VENOM Autonomy Kit as part of DARPA’s Artificial Intelligence Augmentation Program.
Two years after modifications began, the first U.S. Air Force F-16 equipped with DARPA’s Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model (VENOM) Autonomy Kit (VAK) flew. The modified jet will serve as an autonomous flight testbed, using artificial intelligence (AI) agents to control flight.
The program is a joint effort between the U.S. Air Force and DARPA launched as part of the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program and the Artificial Intelligence Reinforcements (AIR) program. The ACE program also included the X-62 Variable In-flight Simulator Aircraft (VISTA), which previously demonstrated that an AI agent could autonomously fly a fighter jet in a dogfight.
The future of flight is here.
Check out the F-16 with VENOM modifications. As part of the Augmented Artificial Intelligence (AIR) program, AI will take control to advance combat skills while human pilots remain “on-the-loop.”
📸 US Air Force | Samuel King Jr., 96th Test Wing pic.twitter.com/Y6CxJEBMNl
— DARPA (@DARPA) July 16, 2026
“This groundbreaking flight test of the VENOM-modified F-16 advances the infrastructure needed to develop a reliable, autonomous air combat capability,” said Brig. Gen. James “Fangs” Valpiani, DARPA program manager. “The Air Force and DARPA teams have automated the flight controls and sensors of the standard F-16 without changing the jet’s core software. This enables an efficient pipeline for developing critical AI for air combat, enabling rapid innovation for the warfighter.”
VAK leverages a new interface with the aircraft’s flight control and mission systems to allow pilots to switch between traditional human control and AI control with the flip of a switch, the press release explained. The goal is to ensure a safe and trustworthy environment for Human-On-The-Loop experiments.
As part of the AIR program, the VENOM fleet will be used to test multiple AI agents in real-world flight scenarios, paving the way for human pilots to seamlessly command and coordinate teams of unmanned autonomous aircraft, the statement continued. Lessons learned will also be used to include the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.
“The new threat environment, especially as it relates to air combat, is becoming increasingly complex,” Valpiani added. “AI has enormous potential to help humans manage these complexities in beyond-visual-range combat, but many difficult questions remain regarding the performance and reliability of combat AI amid the extreme fog and friction of modern warfare. The AIR program aims to address these questions by applying cutting-edge combat agents to operationally relevant scenarios and equip the warfighter with the capabilities to deter war in the field and win wars.”
What is Venom?
VENOM-AFT (Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model – Autonomy Flying Testbed) is a program designed and funded to accelerate autonomy software testing for crewed and unmanned aircraft, complementing Eglin’s autonomy data and AI experimental proof base and informing cooperative combat aircraft programs and other autonomy developers.
“The VENOM program represents a pivotal chapter in the advancement of air warfare capabilities. This innovative program has the potential to redefine the air warfare paradigm by fostering new autonomous capabilities for current and future manned and unmanned platforms,” said Maj. Ross Elder, VENOM Development Test Director. “We look forward to the culmination of many years of engineering and collaboration as VENOM leads thoughtful steps toward a new era of aviation.”
A total of six F-16Cs will be converted into test platforms to rapidly evaluate autonomous capabilities and undergo development and operational testing through the 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron. However, this aircraft will not be a crewless unmanned aerial vehicle like the QF-16. That’s because pilots are always in the cockpit, monitoring autonomy and ensuring flight and mission system test objectives are met.
“It is important to understand the ‘Human-On-The-Loop’ aspect of these types of tests, meaning that the pilot engages in autonomy in real time and maintains the ability to start and stop specific algorithms,” said Lt. Col. Joe Gagnon, 85th TES commander, when the first aircraft arrives at Eglin in 2024. “There will never be a time when a VENOM aircraft ‘flies itself’ alone without a human component.”
The first three Vipers will arrive at Eglin in April 2024 and undergo software, hardware and equipment modifications that will eventually allow the aircraft to be flown by autonomous personnel. Following this, the last aircraft appeared in April 2025, with a total of 6 F-16s produced.
The physical changes noted in the service include the inclusion of an autothrottle, allowing autonomous thrust adjustment, and the flight control surfaces are handled by the flight control system’s computer. The goal of the software is to enable VENOM autonomy to connect and communicate with aircraft systems, while the goal of the hardware is to ensure safety by ensuring that the autonomy cannot exceed its limits or exceed its flight envelope.
In fact, during flight testing, a test pilot will be on board to oversee the flight with the ability to start and stop autonomy in real time. To expedite the program, as with most F-16 and F-15 tests at Eglin, officials have previously said the VENOM program will undergo developmental and operational testing simultaneously.
