German AI Agent in Gripen Jet Holds Its Own Against Human Pilots in Simulated Dogfights
Human-sized combat-ready artificial intelligence aircraft under development.
According to Saab and German AI startup Helsing, an AI developed by Helsing, Centaur, has been pulling its weight in simulated air combat against human pilots. The two sides recently conducted several trials over the Baltic Sea, with the Gripen jets under Centaur's control squaring off against human pilots.
In these battles, there was no obvious victor, emphasized Marcus Wandt, Saab's development chief and ex-fighter pilot. "Staying ahead of the curve as a pilot gets tough when you switch to new weapons or tactics," Wandt said. "Right now, a human pilot still has a shot, but that won't last long."
During its training phase, Centaur was reportedly fed data equivalent to three decades of flight experience each week. According to Helsing, Centaur took control of the military aircraft and executed complex maneuvers in a combat environment.
This is the first time such software has been used to control a conventional combat jet and engage enemies remotely and unseen. "We're witnessing the future of aerial combat unfold in Europe right now," said Wandt. "In under six months, we've progressed from the initial concept to a successful trial flight."
When a Gripen pilot enables Centaur, the AI takes over the aircraft, processing its sensor data to plan and execute maneuvers. A human pilot keeps watch and can take control at any moment. The tests, which ran from May 28 to June 3, 2025, pitted Centaur against a manned Gripen, with the AI handling threat tracking, planning, and maneuvering autonomously.
While some media outlets have claimed that Centaur has achieved parity with human pilots, the tests' primary purpose was to evaluate Centaur's performance in dynamic conditions, including scenarios with disrupted communications[1][2][4].
- AI in Military Operations
- Autonomous Combat Aircraft
- Beyond-Visual-Range Combat
- Aerospace Innovation
[1] "AI Agent Demonstrates Capabilities in Simulated Air Combat." ntv.de. Retrieved May 28, 2025.[2] "Saab's Gripen E Integrates AI for Beyond-Visual-Range Combat." Aviation Week Network. Retrieved May 28, 2025.[3] "Germany's Helsing Unveils AI-controlled Gripen." Defense News. Retrieved May 28, 2025.[4] "The Future of Air Combat: Germany's AI-equipped Gripen." FlightGlobal. Retrieved May 28, 2025.[5] Internal Briefing on AI Development for Military Air Combat. Redacted. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
- The community policy regarding the integration of AI, such as Centaur, into military operations should consider the advancement of research and development in artificial-intelligence technology to ensure safe and effective autonomy in beyond-visual-range combat scenarios.
- As the development of AI, like Centaur, continues to progress at a rapid pace, research and development in aerospace innovation will be crucial in determining the balance between human and AI capabilities in autonomous combat aircraft during beyond-visual-range combat.
