Northrop Grumman’s Talon Blue Conducts First Autonomous Flight

Designated YFQ-48A by the U.S. Air Force, the aircraft is a candidate for the branch’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, October 08, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

Talon Blue, designated YFQ-48A by the U.S. Air Force, is a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) being designed to complement crewed fighter jets. [Credit: Northrop Grumman]

Key Takeaways:

Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue, a candidate for the U.S. Army’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, successfully completed its first fully autonomous flight, covering all phases from taxi to landing.
The internally funded project aims to reduce manufacturing costs and accelerate the production of autonomous systems to meet increasing military demand.
Northrop Grumman is a significant participant in the broader multi-service CCA initiative, developing platforms for the Army (Talon Blue) and Marine Corps, and securing a mission autonomy software contract for the Air Force.
Talon Blue is part of Northrop Grumman's Project Talon portfolio, which utilizes advanced testbeds like Talon IQ to rapidly develop and deploy autonomous capabilities.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue, a candidate for a production contract under the U.S. Army’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, completed its first fully autonomous flight, the manufacturer announced Saturday.

The flight, which took place in Mojave, California, included autonomous taxi, takeoff, in-flight maneuvers, and landing. The design is internally funded and aims to reduce part count and overall weight, lowering manufacturing costs and supporting faster production to meet growing military demand for autonomous systems. It includes a high air intake, wide wheelbase, and integrated weapons bay designed for U.S. military and allied partner mission needs.