As the force gets smaller, the Air Force may look increasingly to machines to make decisions in team with airmen.
"A digital teammate," in the words of Maj. Gen. Thomas Masiello, commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory. "An unmanned wingman," he said.
While airmen will always be essential to the fight, "let machines do what they do best," he said Tuesday at the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference outside Washington, D.C.
Among key technologies AFRL is researching are sensors. Imagine if a machine — sensors built into a shirt, for example — could monitor markers in sweat for signs of stress or distraction. The digital teammate provides better awareness, Masiello said.
Autonomy means "speed in decision-making," he said.
AFRL is focused on both safety and efficiency in its autonomy research, Masiello said.
Ground collision avoidance systems and air collision avoidance systems for both manned and unmanned aircraft can improve safety. Technology to manage the huge amounts of intelligence data can improve efficiency, he said.
