The Era of AI-Controlled Fighter Jets: Competition Held at Korea Aerospace University

Verification of Student-Developed AI Fighter Engagement Algorithms
at the '2025 F-16 AI Pilot Competition'

The '2025 F-16 AI Pilot Competition,' organized by Korea Aerospace University as part of the Software-Centered University Project, concluded successfully on the 12th. Held for the first time this year, the competition was designed as a practical challenge for undergraduate and graduate students to develop AI-based autonomous fighter jet engagement technologies and to verify them in a simulated combat environment. This attracted significant interest from students.

Students and event organizers who participated in the '2025 F-16 AI Pilot Competition,' held by Korea Aerospace University on the 12th as part of the Software-Centered University Project, are posing for a commemorative photo. Provided by Korea Aerospace University

The competition began accepting applications in June, followed by a special lecture in July, and then two months of preliminary training for participating students. The event organizers supported students in systematically building their skills through months of algorithm design workshops, beta test simulations, technical support from the AI specialist company Realtime Visual, and special lectures on fighter maneuvers. The ultimate goal was for students to directly develop an AI fighter pilot control algorithm, known as an AI Pilot Agent, capable of controlling an F-16 fighter jet.

The preliminary round was held on the 10th, and the finals took place on the 12th. Four teams advanced to the finals through a round-robin group stage in the preliminaries, with the finals consisting of a semifinal tournament and a championship match. Each match was conducted as a best-of-five, allowing for a more precise evaluation of combat situations. Participating students implemented tactical algorithms that predicted enemy positions and speeds, devised evasion and pursuit strategies, and even accounted for limited fuel and altitude. This work required not only general programming skills but also complex abilities such as systems thinking, strategic decision-making, and real-time control. These are also core competencies required of AI pilots in future defense technologies.

After a fierce competition that day, the grand prize, the President's Award, went to the FalcoPilot team (students Kyungtae Kim, Jihoon Jeon, Dohee Park, and Jaeho Kim), who were praised for implementing stable and precise maneuvers. The Excellence Award was given to the KAU RML team (students Jihoon Hong, Jaewoo Seok, and Minseo Choi), while the Merit Awards went to the Ctrl Alt Fly team (students Dongmin Jang, Jaeyong Chun, and Sunghyun Park) and the FalconAI team (student Dosol Park).

Lim Sangmin, adjunct professor at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, who planned the competition, stated, "This competition served as a forward-looking educational platform to experiment with how AI can make decisions and act on a physical battlefield." He added, "I was deeply impressed to see Korea Aerospace University students implement algorithms that comprehensively consider the complex elements required for aerial combat in fighter jets." He also noted, "The level of this competition was extremely high, even considering its potential for real-world defense applications."

Based on the success of this competition, Korea Aerospace University plans to launch a nationwide event open to universities across the country starting this winter break, expanding participation to students from other universities majoring in AI, software, and aerospace-related fields. The university is also considering expanding into various areas such as AI-based unmanned aerial vehicles, tactical drones, and simulation strategy games in the future.