Northrop Grumman YFQ-48A Talon Blue completes first fully autonomous flight

Northrop Grumman’s Talon Blue (YFQ-48A) Collaborative Combat Aircraft flew for the first time, completing a fully autonomous profile including taxi, takeoff, maneuvers, and landing. The novelty is a new CCA airframe entering the competitive field with an emphasis on modular design, advanced manufacturing for faster/cheaper production, and an autonomy development ecosystem intended to accelerate fielding of mission-ready uncrewed combat aircraft.