Overview
- Air Force officials described the newly designated YFQ-48A Talon as a “strong contender” in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
- Northrop and Scaled Composites built the demonstrator in about 15 months with roughly 50% fewer parts, about 1,000 pounds less weight, and around 30% faster assembly to validate lower-cost production.
- Talon has not flown; first flight is targeted for 2026, with reporting pointing to a late‑year timeline.
- Nine Increment 2 concept‑refinement contracts were awarded this month, though the Air Force did not identify the recipients, leaving Northrop’s participation unconfirmed.
- Under the continuous-competition approach, Northrop remains in the vendor pool for future efforts, including the Increment 1 production buy, as General Atomics’ YFQ‑42A and Anduril’s YFQ‑44A progress through flight testing.