Beacon, unveiled in June 2025, provides an open-access testing environment for technology partners to refine and align their systems with government requirements. Merlin will use this platform to further validate its autonomy software in real-world, mission-relevant conditions.
Merlin is currently the prime contractor for the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in integrating autonomous systems into the C-130J aircraft, and is progressing work on the KC-135. This new collaboration will also support Merlin’s expansion to the Model 437 Vanguard, developed by Scaled Composites and recently modified for optionally autonomous operations.
Northrop Grumman is using the Model 437 Vanguard to accelerate the airborne validation of mission and flight autonomy software. Merlin will contribute its Merlin Pilot software and lead integration efforts including software-in-the-loop testing, flight test operations, and test documentation development.
As part of the project, Merlin engineers will participate in recurring planning sessions and be deployed to flight tests conducted in Mojave, California. “The demand for autonomous capabilities, especially in defence applications, is accelerating rapidly,” said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin.
“Our collaboration with Northrop Grumman marks a major milestone in advancing mission autonomy—combining Merlin’s innovative software with the scale, rigour, and hardware expertise Northrop Grumman offers, which is needed for real-world deployment,” George added. “The significance of joining the Beacon project is that it allows us to validate our technology on military aircraft and in mission-relevant environments, but also enables us to test and adapt new capabilities from Northrop Grumman for future Merlin efforts.”
Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Aeronautics Systems at Northrop Grumman, emphasised the value of joint innovation. “Beacon is about collaboration across industry between companies of all sizes and expertise,” he said.
“By providing access to the Beacon ecosystem, we’re enhancing innovation, new competition and ultimately the autonomous capabilities that industry can deliver to our customers – with unmatched speed and at scale,” Jones concluded.
