The U.S. Air Force has developed an unmanned F-16 jet fighter that not only can fly autonomously, but also engage in battle with intelligent strategies that it conceives on its own. The Air Force had already been using F-16 drones as practice targets for the F-35 to destroy in training. Now the Air Force has announced fully autonomous air-to-air and ground strike capabilities that it developed with Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. During the demonstration, an experimental unmanned F-16 aircraft showed how it can react to a dynamic threat environment during an air-to-ground strike mission. It planned and executed the mission on its own, deciding the best route and strategies based on mission priorities and available assets. The aircraft was also able to react to changing threats and adjust its course of action accordingly.
