In the US, a new combat drone has made its first fully autonomous flight

In the US, a new combat drone has performed its first fully independent flight for the first time

The Talon Blue drone, owned by Northrop Grumman, made its first flight over the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. This airport is home to Scaled Composites, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman that specializes in the production of experimental aircraft. Talon Blue was built by this very company.

During its first fully autonomous flight, the YFQ-48A Talon Blue took off, performed various maneuvers in the sky, and landed independently.

The unmanned aircraft was developed based on a modular structure and modern manufacturing methods. This approach allows for reducing the number of parts and the overall weight of the vehicle, lowering production costs, and preparing aircraft faster. At the same time, it is intended to preserve its combat capabilities.

Northrop Grumman stated that this flight is the result of the company's 70 years of experience in the field of autonomous systems and more than 500,000 hours of flight performed in autonomous mode.

Talon Blue was developed under the Talon project, which is self-funded by Northrop Grumman. The goal of the project is to accelerate the process of creating operationally ready autonomous aviation systems.

The aircraft's design allows it to be adapted for various combat missions. The top-mounted air intake, wide-track landing gear, and internal weapons bay enable the vehicle to be used in missions aligned with the interests of the US and its allies.

Talon Blue is being tested at a time when the unmanned aviation market is developing rapidly. These vehicles are expected to participate in the US Air Force's Increment 2 program, which envisions the acquisition of hundreds of unmanned aircraft. However, the exact requirements for the aircraft under the program have not yet been finalized.