Northrop Grumman reports autonomous Talon Blue flight

Northrop Grumman announced that its YFQ-48A Talon Blue completed its first fully autonomous flight, with the uncrewed aircraft taxiing, taking off, performing airborne maneuvers and landing without a pilot remotely controlling it. The company described the flight as a milestone in its development of autonomous aircraft, but did not disclose when it took place or provide performance data. Northrop Grumman said Talon Blue was developed with company funding through Project Talon, rather than under a government contract. The company says changes to the aircraft’s design and manufacturing approach reduced its weight and part count, with the aim of lowering costs and speeding production. Those intended benefits have not been demonstrated in the reported flight. The company has not released the flight’s duration, altitude or airspeed, limiting the available information about the test’s scope. The reports of the flight all trace to Northrop Grumman’s announcement or company-posted material; no independent observation or flight record was provided. The company also did not disclose further testing milestones.