In a world-first, a warplane flown by artificial intelligence (AI) was tested in a real combat scenario against a human fighter pilot.
First-Ever AI Warplane Test in Real Air Combat
The test was carried out by Swedish defense company Saab and German AI defense startup Helsing. What makes this event so unique is that it’s the first known case of AI being tested in a beyond visual range (BVR) scenario—meaning the two aircraft couldn’t even see each other directly. Until now, AI tests were only known to happen in close-range dogfights or in specially designed test planes.
This test wasn’t just run in a simulator or on paper. The AI, developed by Helsing, actually piloted a real fighter jet—Saab’s Gripen E, a modern warplane used by Sweden’s air force. On the other side of the battle was a human pilot flying a Gripen D, another version of the same jet.
The trial, conducted by Saab and Helsing, took place over three flights between May 28 and June 3, 2025, under a project named “Project Beyond.” It was funded by the Swedish government and marks an important moment in the growing use of AI in military systems. According to Helsing, the exercise demonstrates the potential of autonomous technology in real-world combat situations.
Human vs Machine: A Real-Time Air Battle
The trial’s final flight was the most intense. It involved Helsing’s “Centaur” AI agent going head-to-head with a human pilot in actual airspace. The companies haven’t declared a clear winner from the match. The reason? Both the AI and the human pilot displayed strong combat skills.
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Marcus Wandt, the Chief Innovation Officer at Saab, shared insights during a press briefing. He’s not just an executive—he’s also a former fighter pilot and a trained astronaut. Wandt explained that the AI system had been trained using simulators, gaining 30 years’ worth of flying experience every single week. That kind of rapid training is impossible for any human pilot.
Still, Wandt said human pilots can still compete—but only for now. “You have to be on your game as a pilot,” he said. “If you need to retrain for a new weapon system or new tactics, it will be difficult to stay on par.” His comments show that while AI has grown powerful, humans are not out of the fight just yet.
Helsing’s AI wasn’t built overnight. It had been trained in a virtual world first, using months of simulator work to prepare for real skies. Each week, the AI was fed enormous amounts of data, giving it the ability to make fast, strategic decisions.
The main goal of this test was not to defeat the human pilot but to prove that an AI system could fly a real warplane and engage in combat at a distance, with no physical sight of the opponent. This is important because most air battles today happen beyond visual range, relying on radar and long-range missiles.
Europe’s Push for AI in Defense
This trial is part of a larger European effort to catch up in the global race for autonomy in military technology. The United States already carried out a similar AI combat test in May 2023. Back then, the former U.S. Air Force secretary Frank Kendall flew in a specially modified F-16 jet named X-62A VISTA, which used machine learning from an American company called Shield AI. That AI was tested against a real pilot as well.
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But Saab and Helsing have now gone a step further by putting their AI into a fully operational fighter jet, not just a test aircraft.
Sweden, which leads this project along with Helsing, is also looking ahead at what future air combat may look like. Saab, in collaboration with Helsing, is currently working on ideas for next-generation fighter jets, which could include a mix of crewed and uncrewed planes. This project is part of Sweden’s KFS air combat study.
Sweden has not yet decided whether it will build its own future fighter jet. It had earlier joined Britain’s Tempest fighter program, a project that later expanded to include Japan and Italy. However, Sweden chose to focus on its own national research instead, with Helsing playing a growing role in AI-driven combat technology. Meanwhile, another big European project known as SCAF is being developed by France, Germany, and Spain.
The trial by Saab and Helsing stands out because of its fast development pace. Executives from both companies pointed out that waiting 10 or 15 years to create AI-powered jets would be too slow. Instead, they pushed forward with trials in real time to speed up progress.
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Although the trial didn’t confirm whether AI or the human pilot was better, it clearly showed that AI is becoming a serious contender in the world of aerial combat. The public announcement was made just before the Paris Airshow, one of the world’s biggest aviation events.
The results may not have crowned a winner, but the test proves that AI can now fly and fight in real-world conditions, even against experienced human pilots. For now, it’s a tie—but it’s a historic one.