YFQ-48A Talon by Northrop Grumman: status and timeline

YFQ-48A Talon

An autonomous fighter drone for affordability and rapid assembly, built to operate with manned fighters in the USAF CCA program.

ProtoStage 2 of 5

First autonomous flight completed October 2026 under USAF Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.

Updated 22 Dec 2025Checked 10 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · First flight

YFQ-48A designated by USAFDec 2025Complete.
First flight3 Oct 2026Complete.

Most important updates

USAF designates Northrop Grumman's Project Talon as YFQ-48A, a strong contender for Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 222 Dec 2025

Upcoming

Q4 2026First flight (next)

Current obstacles

Certification and trustAutonomous aircraft operating near manned fighters must meet stringent safety and reliability standards that are still being developed.

Physics limits

Autonomy and controlFully autonomous military aircraft face fundamental questions about control authority, accountability and decision-making in contested environments.

How it works

3 parts

Design

Modular, lightweight airframe

Talon uses a simplified design with fewer components, enabling rapid assembly and cost-effective production while maintaining mission performance.

Autonomy

Semi-autonomous flight control

The drone operates with advanced autonomy features, capable of flight and mission execution with minimal operator intervention.

Integration

Team coordination

Built to operate alongside manned F-35 and future F-47 fighters, expanding operational flexibility and force capabilities.

Spec sheet

Spec	YFQ-48A Talon
Weight versus prior design	1,000 lbs lighter^R (reported)
Part count reduction	50% fewer parts^R (reported)
Assembly time reduction	30% faster^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

1 update

Mon 22 Dec 2025

Major: USAF designates Northrop Grumman's Project Talon as YFQ-48A, a strong contender for Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 2PressRegulatory

About Northrop Grumman

The team behind YFQ-48A Talon

Northrop Grumman

YFQ-48A CCA drone, Cygnus resupply, satellite servicing

Northrop Grumman builds defense and space systems: Cygnus cargo resupply for the ISS, the YFQ-48A fighter drone for the USAF, and on-orbit satellite servicing via MEV and MRV spacecraft.

Cygnus XL resupply missions to ISS carry 5 tonnes per flight; 33% more capacity than standard Cygnus.
Mission Robotic Vehicle launched July 2026 with a seven-DOF arm for satellite servicing and debris removal.
YFQ-48A Talon autonomous fighter drone is a CCA contender with 30% faster assembly; first flight Q4 2026.

northropgrumman.com (opens northropgrumman.com)Company profile →

Founded: 193987 yrs
Headquarters: United States
Status: Public
Listed: NOC (opens google.com)NYSE
Valuation: $78Bmarket capJan 2026
Staff: ~95,000Jan 2025
Works in: SpaceflightIn-space mobilityAviation
Coverage: 3 programs · 3 updateslatest 21 Jul 2026checked 10 Oct
Customers: NASA (opens nasa.gov)U.S. Air Force (opens airforce.mil)Intelsat (opens intelsat.com)
People: Kathy Warden (opens northropgrumman.com)Chief Executive Officer and Chair

Spec

YFQ-48A Talon

Weight versus prior design

1,000 lbs lighter^R (reported)

Part count reduction

50% fewer parts^R (reported)

Assembly time reduction

30% faster^R (reported)