This disclosure is directed to methods, systems, and computer program products for automated avoidance of ground threats by an aircraft. In one example, a method includes determining, by one or more processing devices, whether a sufficient evasive maneuver for an aircraft to avoid a detected ground surface threat is performed via pilot controls of the aircraft within a selected threshold after an alert of the ground surface threat is outputted via one or more cockpit systems of the aircraft. The method further includes, in response to determining that a sufficient evasive maneuver via the pilot controls is not performed within the selected threshold, controlling, by the one or more processing devices, one or more flight systems of the aircraft to perform an automated evasive maneuver to avoid the ground surface threat.