These partners will test and refine their technologies using the Model 437 aircraft, developed by Scaled Composites, alongside Northrop Grumman’s flight autonomy hardware and integration capabilities. A series of flight demonstrations is scheduled for this year to validate the solutions.
“Beacon is about collaboration across industry between companies of all sizes and expertise,” said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Aeronautics Systems at Northrop Grumman. “By providing open access to the Beacon ecosystem, we’re enhancing the innovation, new competition and ultimately the autonomous capabilities that industry can deliver to our customers – with unmatched speed and at scale.”
The Beacon ecosystem is built on more than 500,000 autonomous flight hours and decades of Northrop Grumman’s experience in autonomous systems. Designed as an open-access, government-aligned platform, it integrates advanced software and solutions within a cutting-edge digital environment.
Beacon is intended to support future aircraft programmes by accelerating software deployment, lowering development risk and improving system readiness. The initiative aims to bring together a broad range of industry talent to shape the next generation of autonomous air systems.
