Boeing has announced that it recently completed flight tests with five high-performance surrogate jets operating autonomously in a team at the new Queensland Flight Test Range in Cloncurry, Australia.

The 11-foot aircraft were used to test Boeing’s advanced autonomy technology, including on-board command and control and data sharing capabilities.

“The tests demonstrated our success in applying artificial intelligence algorithms to ‘teach’ the aircraft’s brain to understand what is required of it,” says Emily Hughes, director of Phantom Works International.

“The data link capabilities enabled the aircraft to communicate with the other platforms so that they could collaborate to achieve a mission.”

Testing lasted 10 days, with aircraft being added gradually until the five operated together. The aircraft reached speeds of 167 miles per hour during testing.

“With the size, number and speed of aircraft used in the test, this is a very significant step for Boeing and industry in the progress of autonomous mission systems technology,” Hughes says.

According to Boeing, the flight tests were the final milestone delivered in partnership with the Queensland government as part of Boeing’s Advanced Queensland Autonomous Systems Platform Technology Project. Boeing has worked with more than 90 personnel from a number of small-to-medium enterprises during the project, including RFDesigns, Amber Technology Ltd., Premier Box, McDermott Aviation and Five Rings Aerospace.

Boeing says that technology and capabilities proven under this program will form part of the Boeing Airpower Teaming System and future Boeing autonomous platforms.