Eglin Air Force Base in Florida hosted a flight test of a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet modified to operate under artificial intelligence control in June 2026. The aircraft is part of a fleet conversion effort known as the Viper Experimentation and Next-generation Operations Model (VENOM) program, a joint initiative between the U.S. Air Force and DARPA under the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program. Building on earlier ACE flights that used the X-62A VISTA to demonstrate AI piloting in a dogfight, the VENOM test shows the ability to apply AI to standard operational fighters. Brig. Gen. James “Fangs” Valpiani, DARPA program manager, said the tests advance the infrastructure needed for trusted autonomous air combat capabilities. He added that flight controls and sensors have been automated on a standard F-16 without altering its core software, creating an efficient pipeline for developing combat AI. The VENOM Autonomy Kit, designed and integrated by multiple performers under the ACE program, interfaces with the aircraft’s flight controls and mission systems, allowing a pilot to toggle between manual and AI control with a switch. This configuration provides a safe environment for human‑on‑the‑loop experimentation. Moving forward, VENOM aircraft will serve as the foundation for DARPA’s Artificial Intelligence Reinforcements (AIR) program, which will test multiple AI agents in live‑flight scenarios. The AIR program seeks to let human pilots command teams of autonomous unmanned aircraft and to develop capabilities for collaborative combat operations. Valpiani will conclude his role as DARPA program manager later this month, and Lt. Col. Patrick “Dice” Highland, the incoming AIR program manager, said the milestone offers an early view of how AI may reshape beyond‑visual‑range, multi‑ship combat. Terry Wilson, Ph.D., director of AI Development and Transition at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Autonomy Capability Team, serves as deputy program manager for VENOM and AIR and said the partnership between DARPA and the laboratory is essential for long‑term success. The AIR program intends to increase the speed and predictability of AI model development and to expand in‑flight testing to more complex multi‑ship operations.