AI Pilots Replace Humans in F-16s... '200-Second Dogfight' to Decide the Ultimate Champion

Sixteen Teams Out of 290 Nationwide Reach Finals: 1-on-1 Dogfights with Identical Aircraft

AI Pilot Competition Inspired by DARPA: Future Plans Include 2-on-2 and Multi-Aircraft Engagements

Two F-16 fighter jets, not operated by human pilots, will compete in a virtual sky. The controls are handled by artificial intelligence (AI) systems developed by university students across the country. During a 200-second match, the AIs must independently assess the opponent's movements in real time and make decisions on attacks, evasive maneuvers, and energy management.

On September 16, Korea Aerospace University announced that it will hold the finals of the '1st Korea Aerospace University President's Cup 2026 AI Pilot Top Gun Challenge' at its main auditorium on the 17th. A total of 290 teams, comprising 873 participants from more than 80 universities nationwide, have applied. Sixteen teams that advanced through the preliminary rounds will compete in the finals to showcase the performance of their AI pilots.

Promotional image for the final of the "1st Korea Aerospace University President's Cup 2026 AI Pilot Top Gun Challenge" held on the 17th. Preliminary matches before the final will be live-streamed on Korea Aerospace University's official YouTube channel. Provided by Korea Aerospace University.

Each team installs its developed AI on the same virtual F-16 platform to engage in one-on-one close-range aerial combat, known as a dogfight. The matches last for 200 seconds. If the AI shoots down its opponent with machine guns, it wins instantly. If neither side is downed, the winner is determined by the remaining health at the end of the match.

The competition rules are designed to prevent AIs from gaining an advantage simply by running away and stalling for time. At the start, the attack range is set narrowly, but it gradually expands as time passes. This rule is meant to encourage the AIs to shift tactics depending on the game phase—from initial reconnaissance and survival, through mid-game energy management, to endgame offense.

These AI-versus-AI dogfights are closely related to the development of real unmanned combat aircraft. In 2020, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) hosted the 'AlphaDogfight Trials,' conducting virtual AI dogfights and subsequently expanding the related technology to real flight tests using the X-62A VISTA platform.

The AI aerial combat match scene broadcasted on the main screen. F-16 fighter jets from preliminary teams are flying and engaging in combat over Seoul. Provided by the Air Force Academy.

Korea Aerospace University also plans to expand future competitions from one-on-one close-range battles to two-on-two and multi-aircraft manned-unmanned mixed formations, as well as beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagements. Uncertainties of real aerial combat—such as electronic warfare (EW) and sensor/communication limitations—will be gradually incorporated into the simulation as well.

Lim Sangmin, adjunct professor at Korea Aerospace University and organizer of the competition, stated, "If we can leverage the creativity and collective intelligence of the private sector to iterate and verify through trial and error, Korea's AI aerial combat technology can be significantly advanced in a short period. I hope that the algorithms developed by students will become the foundation for future applications in real fighter jets."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.