Lockheed Martin tests AI-enhanced combat identification system on F-35 fighter

Lockheed Martin has flight tested an artificial intelligence-enhanced Combat Identification (Combat ID) capability integrated into the F-35’s information fusion system, the company said on February 23.

The demonstration, known as Project Overwatch, marked the first time a tactical AI model was used in flight to generate an independent combat identification assessment displayed to the pilot. The test was conducted at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

According to the company, the AI and machine learning model was designed to resolve identification ambiguities among electromagnetic emitters detected by the aircraft’s sensors. During the flight, the system processed incoming data and presented its assessment directly on the pilot’s display, operating within the F-35’s existing mission systems architecture.

Engineers subsequently used an automated tool to label newly detected emitters and retrain the AI model on the ground. The updated model was then reloaded for the next flight within the same mission planning cycle.

“This is a demonstration of 6th Gen technology brought to a 5th Gen platform,” said Jake Wertz, vice president of F-35 Combat Systems at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. “Equally important is our ability to re-program the AI model on the ground and have those updates available for the next sortie.”

The AI capability is embedded within the F-35’s sensor fusion framework, which combines data from onboard and offboard sources to provide pilots with a consolidated tactical picture. Lockheed Martin said the flight test results will inform further development and potential future integration.

More than 1,300 F-35 aircraft are currently in service with 12 countries, according to company data.

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