The demonstration was conducted using the company’s Prism Mission Autonomy software on the Talon IQ platform. During the flight, control shifted dynamically between autonomy systems developed by Applied Intuition and Accelint.
The flight began with Prism controlling the aircraft before switching mid-air to partner autonomy software. The system demonstrated the ability to transition between individual autonomy “skills” without interrupting operational performance.
The test highlights the platform’s open and modular architecture, which allows integration of third-party autonomy solutions. Northrop Grumman said the approach supports compliance with U.S. government reference architectures and enables scalable mission capabilities.
“We’ve opened the Talon IQ ecosystem to help companies prove their autonomous capabilities and advance next-generation flight—providing a real-world testing platform at a lower cost than fully uncrewed systems. Our investment speeds software maturity, enhances reliability and accelerates delivery of mission-ready solutions,” said Craig Woolston.
The Talon IQ testbed is part of Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon portfolio and is designed to accelerate development of autonomous flight technologies. It uses the Scaled Composites Model 437 aircraft and provides a platform for developing, integrating and testing mission autonomy software.
The company said the system supports a range of operations, including coordination between crewed and uncrewed platforms. It also enables real-time routing and deconfliction with other aircraft in complex environments.
Northrop Grumman said its Prism Mission Autonomy software has already been demonstrated on the same aircraft platform. The Talon IQ ecosystem is intended to support rapid iteration and development of next-generation autonomous capabilities for future operational requirements.
