Northrop Grumman’s Talon IQ swaps autonomy skills in flight with Applied Intuition and Accelint

MOJAVE, Calif. – April 16, 2026 – Northrop Grumman’s (NYSE: NOC) Talon IQ™ testbed, powered by the company’s Prism Mission Autonomy software, flawlessly executed a mid-flight, dynamic software swap from Applied Intuition to Accelint mission autonomy software while maintaining continuous operational performance. Northrop Grumman’s strategic investment in risk-mitigated flight tests proves confidence that autonomy software is ready for next-generation Talon Blue platform.

• Seamless Mid-Flight Autonomy Transitions: The flight began with Prism controlling the aircraft before transitioning mid-flight to Applied Intuition’s and Accelint’s mission autonomy skills, demonstrating Talon IQ’s ability to dynamically switch partner autonomy at the individual skill level within the testbed.
• Plug-and-Play, Mission-Ready Skills: By seamlessly swapping between two partner autonomy skills, Talon IQ demonstrated how Prism can host third-party Mission Autonomy skills while adhering to U.S. government reference architectures.
• Accessible Test Ecosystem: Northrop Grumman’s Prism Mission Autonomy software’s speed and readiness demonstrate software maturity and ability to execute diverse missions, including teaming with crewed and uncrewed assets, dynamically routing and deconflicting in real time with other vehicles.

Expert: 
“We’ve opened the Talon IQ ecosystem to help companies prove their autonomous capabilities and advance next-generation flight—providing a real-world testing platform at a lower cost than fully uncrewed systems. Our investment speeds software maturity, enhances reliability and accelerates delivery of mission-ready solutions,” said Craig Woolston, sector vice president and general manager, research & advanced design, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. 

Details on Talon IQ:
Talon IQ™ is the next‑generation autonomous testbed ecosystem in Northrop Grumman’s Project Talon portfolio. Utilizing the Scaled Composites Model 437 aircraft, it provides an open‑architecture, modular ecosystem that lets partners develop, integrate and flight‑test Mission Autonomy software on proven Flight Autonomy hardware.

Northrop Grumman’s own Prism Mission Autonomy software has already commanded the same Model 437 airframe, establishing Talon IQ as a flight‑proven platform. The system is deliberately designed as a collaborative ecosystem that accelerates modular Mission Autonomy solutions and enables rapid iteration to meet the evolving demands of future customers.

photo courtesy Northrop Grumman