Ai在中國超音速飛機上

In typical aerial combat, opponents try to take each other head on and avoid being trailed by a rival. Photo: Weibo

China / Science

Chinese AI simulates hypersonic air battle, offering surprising tactic for winning Mach 11 dogfight

  • To defeat enemy in aerial combat, hypersonic plane should zoom ahead and launch missile backwards, according to computer simulation
  • The counter-intuitive approach allows a pilot to strike quickly from far away, greatly improving the crew’s chance of survival

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Stephen Chen

Stephen Chen in Beijing

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Published: 6:00am, 28 Feb, 2023

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Researchers in China say their AI is the first to simulate an aerial battle involving a hypersonic aircraft flying at Mach 11, or 11 times the speed of sound, and the technology came up with a surprising tactic for defeating an enemy.

In the computer simulation, a hypersonic aircraft encountered an enemy fighter jet flying at Mach 1.3, close to the top speed of an F-35.

The hypersonic plane’s pilot was then given an order to kill.

Instinct, along with the results of earlier simulations, should have directed the pilot to head straight towards the target.