The new era of the air force is here.

Above: YQF-44

The main problem is to find. The most effective mix of manned and unmanned systems. 

The YQF-44 is the new type of drone. That system uses AI-based air combat capability. These kinds of systems can operate independently or with manned systems. Basically. An automated bombing system is very easy. To make. The system can use a radio beam. And the drone flies in it. Another radio beam. That crosses the path rays. Launches bombs at the right point. More advanced AI-controlled systems. It can use a Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) technology to determine its location. And then that system can determine its location using terrain photos. When the image. Its camera sends. Matches with an image. When that is stored in computer memory, the system can launch bombs. 

Above: X-62A with chase plane. Lockheed Martin (Internet)

The QF-16 is basically an aerial target. The Shield Corporation, along with Lockheed-Martin (General Dynamix), transformed that thing into a system.  That can go. Into air combat duties. The official name of the F-16 robot is the X-62A “Vista”. 

The more advanced algorithms allow the drone to operate in any mission that a human pilot can. It's possible to assemble the AI into any aircraft on Earth. That can make it possible. To use old jet fighters. Like robot versions of the F/A-18 (QF-18) and A-10 “Thunderbolt” (QA-10) as attacking decoys. The old jet fighters. Serve as air combat practice. Target missions. There are various old jet fighters operating in that role. The newest planes are F-16 robot versions, QF-16. Maybe. Also, the old A-10 and F/A-18. Are serving in that role. There is a possibility of installing the AI into those old aircraft. 

That can attack enemy targets using weapons and kamikaze tactics to make those missions. Those systems can fly. With other systems, they can force the enemy to shoot. And uncover their locations. And those systems can also operate as patrol systems. That can attack enemies. Theoretically. It is quite easy to transform the target drone into an attack aircraft. That uses AI-operated technology. To recognize their targets and attack them. 

X-BAT is a drone. That rewrites rules on the battlefield.

Shield AI is promising a fully autonomous fighter jet with its X-BAT. Shield AI

© Shield AI

-Shield AI unveiled what it called a fully autonomous multirole fighter jet.

-It uses Hivemind, the AI pilot it previously used to pilot an F-16 through a dogfight.

-The company says the jet can take off without a runway, from container ships and remote islands.

(MSN.com)

X-BAT is an autonomous, large-sized drone. That unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV)- or killer drone is also independent of runways. That drone uses. Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) technology.  The fully autonomous drone. That doesn’t require runways is the new tool that the military requires. The drone itself is developed by Shield Corporation. This created a robot version of the F-16 jet fighter. That AI-controlled jet fighter. Achieved success in air-combat simulations.  And that made Shield Corporation. Continue its work to create autonomous combat systems. The AI-controlled attack aircraft can make risky missions. 

And another thing is that. The new, effective AI-controlled systems. Allow the robot fighter to engage in air combat against human pilots and other drones. The difference between manned and unmanned aircraft. Is this. Unmanned aircraft can also. Make kamikaze attacks. If it sees a target. That value equals the loss of the aircraft. The unmanned combat aircraft can also carry nuclear weapons internally. And their air-combat capacity makes those next-generation missiles more powerful than they were before. 

The cruise missile. Those that can shoot down other aircraft can also be equipped with direct energy weapons. Like lasers and EMP weapons. Those kinds of weapons don’t need very large systems, and they can guarantee that future nuclear cruise missiles can reach their targets. Or they can escort manned and unmanned systems. It’s not sure. Does the USAF or the NAVY choose X-BAT? But that technology is also useful in other UCAV systems. 

https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/qf-16-full-scale-aerial-target/

https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/x-62a-vista.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/artificial-intelligence/a-new-autonomous-fighter-jet-just-broke-cover-it-s-powered-by-the-same-ai-brain-that-flew-an-f-16-through-a-dogfight/ar-AA1OXx15?ocid=BingNewsSerp

https://www.rudebaguette.com/en/2025/10/combat-drones-new-ai-challenges-aviation-norms-operating-without-pilot-or-runway-redefining-future-military-tactics/

https://www.slashgear.com/1680874/ai-piloted-f16-against-human-dogfight/

https://www.twz.com/air/our-first-look-at-yfq-44a-fighter-drone-prototype

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anduril_YFQ-44

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TERCOM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_X-62_VISTA