Story ID: 409
Sweden Demonstrates AI in Air Combat
By: David Donald
Caption: Saab and Helsing have harnessed the rapid update capabilities of the Gripen E to test AI air combat
Word Count: 274
Saab recently conducted three test flights of a Gripen E fighter with an artificial intelligence (AI) agent from German defense firm Helsing. During the flights, conducted between May 28 and June 3, the pilot handed over control of the Gripen E to the AI agent, called Centaur, which successfully commanded complex maneuvers during beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagement scenarios before cueing the pilot at the point where weapons would be fired.
For the capstone flight, Centaur was pitted against a Gripen D target using real-time sensor data integration to track it. During the sortie, a number of BVR setups were trialed with varying start distances, speeds, and aspects, and also with command-and-control assistance disabled. Saab is now evaluating the results of the test as the company continues to train its AI agent and enhance BVR air combat capabilities.
Sponsored by the FMV, Sweden’s defense material administration, the Centaur tests are part of Saab’s Project Beyond, which is studying how to harness technologies such as AI. The addition of the Centaur agent also highlights the segregated nature of the Gripen E’s avionics architecture, which allows the update and insertion of mission software without affecting flight-critical software, in turn negating the need for expensive and time-consuming clearance testing.
“This is an important achievement for Saab, demonstrating our qualitative edge in sophisticated technologies by making AI deliver in the air,” said Peter Nilsson, head of advanced programs at Saab’s aeronautics business area. “The swift integration and successful flight testing of Helsing’s AI in a Gripen E exemplifies the accelerated capability gain you can get from our fighter.”