Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue made its first flight on Oct. 3, 2026, at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, flying fully autonomously from taxi to landing, according to the company.
The company said the flight included taxi, takeoff, in-flight maneuvers and landing, TWZ and Air Data News reported. The uncrewed aircraft was built by Northrop’s Scaled Composites unit with company money, not an Air Force contract.
It enters a crowded race to supply drone wingmen to the U.S. Air Force, where General Atomics and Anduril already have aircraft in production.
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What the YFQ-48A Talon Blue Did on Its First Flight
Air Data News reported that the prototype, registered N444LX, reached about 9,875 feet and 190 knots. It flew several circuits over the test area before landing. The aircraft ran Northrop’s Prism Mission Autonomy software, according to the same report.
Northrop said it drew on seven decades of autonomy experience and more than 500,000 autonomous flight hours, TWZ reported. Air Data News tied that record to earlier programs including Global Hawk and Triton.
Craig Woolston of Northrop Grumman said in the company statement: “Our customers made it clear they need autonomous systems that can be fielded faster and more affordably without sacrificing mission effectiveness.”
How the YFQ-48A Talon Blue Is Built
Scaled Composites developed the aircraft as its Model 444, Air Data News reported. It has a high-mounted air intake, a wide landing-gear track and an internal weapons bay, according to TWZ.
Air Data News reported that the design is about 1,000 pounds lighter than earlier proposals, uses roughly half as many parts and needs about 30 percent less manufacturing time. Those figures are company claims and have not been independently checked.
Northrop describes the aircraft as part of its Project Talon portfolio, which aims to speed up mission-ready autonomous airpower, TWZ reported.
Where Talon Blue Stands in the CCA Race
The Air Force picked General Atomics and Anduril in April 2024 for the first batch of Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and Northrop was not selected, Air Data News reported. The Air Force gave Northrop’s jet the YFQ-48A designation in December 2025, placing it alongside the YFQ-42 and YFQ-44.
TWZ said Talon Blue now faces General Atomics’ YFQ-42, Anduril’s YFQ-44, Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat and Lockheed Martin’s Vectis in the Increment 2 competition. Air Data News said Talon Blue sits outside the initial CCA production contracts but is positioned for future competitions.
FAQ: YFQ-48A Talon Blue
When did the YFQ-48A Talon Blue first fly?
On Oct. 3, 2026, at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, according to Northrop Grumman.
Is the YFQ-48A Talon Blue an Air Force program?
Not yet. Northrop funded it, and it sits outside the Air Force’s first CCA production contracts, according to Air Data News.
Who built the YFQ-48A Talon Blue?
Scaled Composites, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, as its Model 444.
Looking Ahead
Three things to watch: further flight tests of the YFQ-48A Talon Blue, any weapons-bay or sensor trials, and how the Air Force shapes Increment 2. Northrop has not announced a test schedule or a customer.
Sources
- TWZ — Northrop Grumman’s Talon Blue Collaborative Combat Aircraft Has Flown
- Air Data News — Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue makes first autonomous flight
- Aviation Week — Northrop completes first flight of self-funded CCA demonstrator
