Warplanes: F-16s Get Automated Landing System

Archives

December 11,2008: The U.S. Air Force has successfully tested autonomous landing software on an F-16 fighter. Such systems have been available for commercial aircraft since the 1990s. Last year, the U.S. Air Force successfully tested such systems on C-130 transports. Earlier this year, the replacement for the MQ-1B Predator UAV, the MQ-1C Sky Warrior, successfully tested automatic landing and takeoff software. This makes the aircraft easier and safer to use, and also is one step closer to a fully autonomous aircraft. There are already some fully autonomous UAVs, that can operate without any human control. The air force is particularly keen on making their UAVs more autonomous, to help ease the stress on its overworked UAV crews. Such automated systems on manned aircraft reduces the workload for the pilot.

X

ad

Help keep us a float!

Your support helps us keep our ship a float. We appreciate anyway you chose to help out. Visit us daily, subscribe, donate, and tell your friends.

You can support us in the following ways:

  1. Subscribe to our daily newsletter. We’ll send the news to your email box, and you don’t have to come to the site unless you want to read columns or see photos.
  2. You can contribute to the health of StrategyPage.
  3. Make sure you spread the word about us. Two ways to do that are to like us on Facebook and follow us on X.
Subscribe   Contribute   Close