The Talon IQ testbed performed fight air patrol and goal engagement maneuvers managed by ShieldAI’s Hivemind AI, earlier than switching again to Northrop Grumman’s Prism AI.
Northrop Grumman and Protect AI introduced on Mar. 19, 2026, that the Talon IQ autonomy testbed plane, primarily based on the Mannequin 437 Vanguard developed by the previous’s subsidiary Scaled Composites, flew for the primary time with Protect’s Hivemind AI autonomy software program and Northrop’s personal Prism autonomous flight code.
In an announcement, each firms stated that the Talon IQ executed “fight air patrol and goal engagement maneuvers,” whereas being piloted by Hivemind, after which “seamlessly swapped again to […] Prism.” This validated its “plug-and-play […] modular, open structure design,” whereas assembly the U.S. authorities’s Autonomy-Authorities Reference Structure (A-GRA) requirements.
Northrop and Protect AI added of their joint assertion that the Mannequin 437/Talon IQ had flown with Prism earlier than, “establishing Talon IQ as a flight‑confirmed platform.” Additionally they pressured upon Hivemind’s means to be built-in upon plane with “minimal modification,” with the check flight coming simply “after a single‑day {hardware}‑in‑the‑loop check.”
We flew @ShieldAITech’s Hivemind software program on Talon IQ — a plug-and-play platform that cuts improvement time and speeds AI deployment.
Study extra: pic.twitter.com/KsFg3R4HjN
— Northrop Grumman (@NGCNews) March 19, 2026
Protect AI’s Hivemind is now related instantly with two of the main unmanned plane of the Air Pressure’s Collaborative Fight Plane’s (CCA) Increment 1 part – Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury and GA-ASI’s YFQ-42A Darkish Merlin. Northrop’s personal YFQ-48A Talon Blue CCA may be part of the Increment 2 stage, and trials on the Talon IQ will inform its evolution.
Mannequin 437 flies with Hivemind and Prism
The businesses’ joint assertion stated Hivemind was built-in and flown on Mannequin 437/Talon IQ after “a single‑day {hardware}‑in‑the‑loop check, demonstrating the speedy transition from lab to precise flight, whereas conforming to A-GRA interfaces. Hivemind “efficiently commanded” the Talon IQ to “execute fight air patrol and goal engagement maneuvers,” earlier than seamlessly switching again to Prism.
Autonomy shifting from lab to flight quicker than ever.
Hivemind accomplished the primary associate mission autonomy flight inside @northropgrumman‘s Talon IQ ecosystem, integrating onto the Mannequin 437 autonomous check plane utilized in this system’s flight check surroundings.
After only one… pic.twitter.com/f1dlv62nNq
— Protect AI (@shieldaitech) March 19, 2026
“We’re accelerating autonomous flight innovation with Talon IQ,” stated Tom Jones, company vp and president, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Methods. “By integrating Protect AI’s Hivemind into our testbed, we’ve demonstrated an open structure platform that propels plug and play mission autonomy ahead at unprecedented pace.”
Christian Gutierrez, vp of Hivemind Options at Protect AI, stated the Talon IQ helped mature mission autonomy, with the combination exhibiting “how Hivemind can transition onto new plane with minimal modification.”
From Mannequin 437 Vanguard to Talon IQ
The Mannequin 437 Vanguard, which flew for the primary time on Aug. 29, 2024, from Scaled Composites’ facility on the Mojave Air and House Port, California, was subsequently named “Beacon”. The Beacon autonomy testbed ecosystem allowed third get together know-how firms to quickly check their autonomous flight packages. This helps pace up maturation efforts and cut back dangers earlier than operational fielding.
The Mannequin 437 was subsequently seen outdoors Scaled Composites’ hangar with the “Beacon” marking on its V-tail in a video Northrop Grumman launched on Jul. 22, 2025. Then, on Sep. 20, 2025, Scaled Composites introduced the Mannequin 437 Vanguard/Beacon would resume flight testing at Mojave in a brand new part of envelope growth flights.
Now, the Talon IQ identify could be stated to have been assigned as Northrop Grumman launched its YFQ-48A Talon Blue Collaborative Fight Plane (CCA), meant for this system’s Increment 2 part. The plane retained the unique Mannequin 437 Vanguard’ registration ‘N437VN,’ and acquired a brand new “Talon IQ” marking on the tail.
The optionally manned Talon IQ will now more than likely help and inform the testing, verification, refinement and future improvement of AI-enabled autonomous flight software program, earlier than trialing them on the YF-48A Talon Blue. This is able to happen as Northrop Grumman observes how the Increment 1 part, with Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury and GA-ASI’s YFQ-42A Darkish Merlin, progresses.
It’s unclear if the newest flight of the platform was manned or unmanned. It’s doable {that a} pilot was nonetheless on board as a security measure to take management in case of an emergency.
Scaled is worked up to share that this morning we performed the primary flight of the Mannequin 437 Vanguard, demonstrating @northropgrumman‘s Digital Pathfinder wings with check pilot Brian Maisler in command. Study extra at #FlightTest #M437Vanguard pic.twitter.com/0w4HkJtN9c
— Scaled Composites (@ScaledC) August 29, 2024
Hivemind and USAF’s CCA program
Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury has flown with Protect AI’s Hivemind and Anduril’s personal Lattice autonomous flight program late in February 2026, switching between the 2 mid-flight. This got here after Fury had flown with an AIM-120 Superior Medium-Vary Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) below its wing.
Then, in mid-February, the U.S. Air Pressure introduced the profitable integration of A-GRA with mission autonomy software program like Collins Aerospace’s Sidekick and Protect’s Hivemind on the YFQ-44A Fury and YFQ-42A Darkish Merlin. On the Darkish Merlin, Protect AI had confirmed its choice as a mission autonomy supplier following a aggressive Know-how Maturity and Threat Discount (TMRR) analysis.
No less than two prototypes of the Fury have been photographed, whereas the YFQ-42A Darkish Merlin has three confirmed airframes.
Hivemind simply flew @anduriltech‘s YFQ-44A.
Hivemind accomplished its first flight check aboard Anduril’s YFQ-44A plane for the @usairforce’s Collaborative Fight Plane (CCA) program. Through the flight check over the Mojave Desert, Hivemind handed all required check factors,… pic.twitter.com/q3GTCesciH
— Protect AI (@shieldaitech) February 26, 2026
The Hivemind autonomous flight software program has beforehand flown the U.S. Navy’s BQM-177A and Airbus’ DT25 goal drones, and the Airbus MQ-72C Lakota unmanned rotary-wing platform.
As part of the CCA program, the AI agent has additionally flown GA-ASI’s MQ-20 Avenger in February 2025, June 2025 and July 2025, validating the Hivemind and Autonomy-Authorities Reference Structure (A-GRA) interfaces and reaching simulated air-to-air kills. The MQ-20 feeds GA-ASI’s broader CCA effort, together with the corporate’s XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS).
YFQ-48A Talon Blue.
The autonomous wingman for the @usairforce. pic.twitter.com/wFmZvd1vG4
— Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) February 23, 2026
The presence of a number of CCA distributors, supported by their very own trial drones as feeder packages developed by means of MOSA requirements, in-house and exterior flight autonomy software program and an overarching compliance with A-GRA, underscores a brand new Air Pressure procurement, engineering and logistical doctrine. The service goals to keep away from “vendor locks” and retain management on each {hardware} and software program, which in any other case has heavy price and operational readiness implications.
