Sensor-driven AI air intercept demo deemed successfulNewsLisa Daigle Assistant Managing Editor Military Embedded SystemsX-62A VISTA photo: U.S. Air Force. PALMDALE, Calif. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (TPS), and several industry partners report a successful demonstration of sensor-driven autonomy on a fighter aircraft, during which an artificial intelligence (AI) agent used targeting information from an operational sensor to execute successful air intercepts against a live target. According to the Lockheed Martin announcement, the X-62 Variable In-flight Simulation Test Aircraft (VISTA) executed 27 AI-controlled intercepts across eight flights. The demo by Skunk Works -- the longtime official nickname of the Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Programs, the company's tactical research and development arm -- showed that the X-62 and its integrated autonomy architecture can successfully use real sensor data to inform AI behavior, validating the full test cycle from development and simulation through training and flight execution. The company announcement stated that the next steps will leverage the proven framework from this experiment to show that the X-62's Mission Systems Upgrade will enable the aircraft to demonstrate seamless integration of combat systems, sensors, and airborne AI agents within a next‑generation mesh network.