Northrop Grumman has achieved the first fully autonomous flight of its YFQ-48A Talon Blue unmanned aerial system (UAS) at Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
The demonstration included taxing, takeoff, airborne maneuvers, and landing, validating the aircraft’s baseline flight capabilities under autonomous control.
The test comes after Northrop returned to the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, which seeks to develop cost-effective UAS capable of operating alongside manned fighters and extending their combat reach.
Read the full story on our new publication, The Drone Front: Northrop’s Talon Blue Loyal Wingman Drone Completes Maiden Flight