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Dec 30, 2020 06:42 AM EST
The Taiwan Strait s contested waterways will soon be joined by Upgraded American F-16s that are far more advanced than most Chinese aircraft. The sale of the new F-16s should give an edge to the Taiwanese airpower.
The American U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin, soon followed by the Shandong on the water, soon followed the strait naval crossings. But in the air, Taiwan is jousting with the People s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) that pits their current version of the Fighting Falcon in the air.
But their dated planes will be joined by a new buy from the U.S. government, the F-16V (Viper) in its Block 70/72. It is the most modern Fighting Falcon worth $62 billion, and the first deliveries come in 2022. This version is far better than the less advanced fighters of the PLAAF, reported Forbes.
Air Force U-2 Surveillance Plane Flies First Mission with AI Copilot
A U-2 Dragon Lady assigned to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing prepares to land at Beale Air Force, Calif., Dec. 15, 2020 after artificial intelligence executed specific in-flight tasks during the flight that would otherwise be done by the pilot. (U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Luis A. Ruiz-Vazquez)
16 Dec 2020
The U.S. Air Force just flew an artificial intelligence system acting as a pilot s sidekick on the U-2 Dragonlady reconnaissance aircraft for the first time in history.
The AI algorithm, call sign ARTUµ (pronounced R-2, in homage to beloved Star Wars droid R2-D2), flew alongside a pilot, identified only as Maj. Vudu, from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base, California, on Dec. 15, the service said in an announcement Wednesday.