F-35 gains onboard AI for real-time combat identification

Lockheed Martin has flight-tested a new artificial intelligence feature on its F-35 Lightning fighter jet, designed to autonomously identify unknown contacts for pilots, the company announced.

“The successful demonstration … marks the first time a tactical AI model has been used in flight to generate an independent Combat ID on the pilot’s display,” Lockheed said in a statement, Breaking Defense reports.

The demonstration, conducted at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, involved a Lockheed-built AI and machine learning model resolving identification ambiguities among emitters, enhancing situational awareness and reducing pilot decision-making latency. In military terms, “emitters” typically refer to radio-frequency signals from radar or communication systems, rather than infrared or optical sources.

The AI algorithm is compact enough to run on the F-35’s onboard computers. After each test flight, engineers used an automated tool to label new emitters, retrain the AI to recognize them within minutes, and reload the updated model for the next flight—all within the same mission planning cycle.

Developed independently under Lockheed’s Internal Research and Development funding, the project—called Project Overwatch—is not tied to a specific Air Force contract, a company spokesperson confirmed to Breaking Defense.

For F-35 pilots, who rely on software to interpret complex sensor data beyond visual range, the system could accelerate decision-making by clearly identifying threats in real time. “This is a demonstration of 6th Gen technology brought to a 5th Gen platform,” said Jake Wertz, Lockheed’s vice president for F-35 combat systems.

Identifying unknown emitters is a critical task for modern militaries. Currently, the Air Force processes such signals globally through the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, before updating mission data files for aircraft. Lockheed positions Overwatch as a significant upgrade, effectively bringing next-generation capabilities to the existing F-35 fleet.

By Vafa Guliyeva