Northrop's autonomy testbed Talon IQ jet takes flight with Shield AI software

Northrop's autonomy testbed Talon IQ jet takes flight with Shield AI software

A Northrop Grumman aircraft modified for unmanned operations flew for the first time with Shield AI's Hivemind autonomy software, according to a news release from both firms. The Talon IQ aircraft -- which is derived from a Model 437 Vanguard from Northrop subsidiary Scaled Composites -- was piloted through a series of combat air patrol and target engagement maneuvers using Shield AIs Hivemind software, the companies wrote. The testbed program w…

Northrop Grumman Talon IQ demonstrates integration of Shield AI Hivemind

During the mission, Hivemind software controlled the aircraft, executing combat air patrol and target engagement maneuvers before transitioning back to Northrop Grumman’s Prism autonomy system. The seamless handover underscored the platform’s ability to host multiple autonomy solutions within a single operational framework. The demonstration also confirmed Talon IQ’s compliance with U.S. Government Reference Architectures, enabling secure and re…

With an Eye To CCA Increment 2, Talon IQ Conducts Test Flight

A “Talon IQ” Model 437 aircraft by Northrop Grumman‘s [NOC] Scaled Composites has flown a mission autonomy test flight using the company’s Prism software and Hivemind software by Shield AI, […]