Project Talon represents a paradigm shift in air dominance as an adaptive, collaborative teammate for combat missions.
Project Talon
The Autonomous Wingman
Next-Generation Autonomous Aircraft
Project Talon represents a paradigm shift in air dominance and showcases our ability to quickly deliver mission-ready autonomy with streamlined manufacturing capabilities and innovative production processes. From the beginning, it has been designed for manufacturing. Its modular design exemplifies how efficient and adaptable manufacturing can meet the rapidly changing requirements of modern military operations, broadening appeal and effectiveness with domestic and international markets.
Speed through Expertise
Project Talon leverages lessons learned from previous efforts and incorporates feedback from various customer sets to ensure future needs are met effectively and quickly.
Speed is the outcome of smart, informed decisions made early, and the consequence of the rigorous preparation that gives us confidence to move fast when it matters.
With Project Talon, we’ve listened, invested, and iterated on our designs to deliver greater value in affordable combat capabilities.
We engineered through anticipating mission needs, investing ahead of demand, and building the digital backbone and manufacturing capacity to move quickly and with clarity.
The U.S. Air Force Autonomous Wingman
Project Talon encompasses a portfolio of modular, cost-effective and rapidly deployable aircraft purpose built to meet customers’ needs for next-gen autonomous aircraft that supports crewed fighters. Software is also a focus of the portfolio and the development of future capabilities through access to autonomous testbeds.
Talon Blue is the U.S. Air Force variant within the Project Talon portfolio. The U.S. Air Force awarded the YFQ-48A designator as an acknowledgement of our commitment to quickly delivering mission-ready autonomy on day one.
Talon Blue addresses customer feedback, which resulted in a reduction in part count and weight, and combines greater mission versatility with the most advanced modular manufacturing techniques. This disruptive approach shortens timelines, emphasizing speed and simplicity.
We are encouraged by Northrop Grumman's continued investment in developing advanced semi-autonomous capabilities. Their approach aligns with our strategy to foster competition, drive industry innovation, and deliver cutting-edge technology at speed and scale.
Delivering Complexity with Simplicity
Our company-funded development of Project Talon showcases our commitment to innovation in autonomous systems tailored to military needs. Northrop Grumman leveraged multiple areas of the company, including Scaled Composites, to best combine autonomy hardware and software expertise with the proven ability to design, test and build with speed.
Utilizing Scaled Composite’s Model 437 demonstration aircraft as a test platform, Talon IQ rapidly establishes autonomous flight test capabilities to quickly mature mission autonomy.
This iterative approach allows for measured risk-taking and rapid validation of design concepts, allowing for real-time feedback. The result is shorter development cycles and increased efficiency, meeting the timelines and evolving needs of our customers.
Media Inquiries
Media Inquiries please contact Kate Mauss at +1 (410) 832-6792 or email at Katherine.Mauss@ngc.com.
