$NOC

Northrop Grumman tests autonomous flight with Shield AI software
Northrop Grumman (NOC) said its Talon IQ autonomous test platform completed a flight integrating third-party software from Shield AI, marking a step toward more flexible development of military autonomy systems.
Northrop Grumman"s Talon IQ demonstrated a successful mission autonomy flight with Shield AI’s Hivemind software in Mojave, Calif.
Northrop Grumman's Talon IQ demonstrated a successful mission autonomy flight with Shield AI’s Hivemind software in Mojave, Calif. (Northrop Grumman)
The flight, conducted in Mojave, California, used Shield AI’s Hivemind software to control the aircraft during a simulated mission that included patrol and target engagement maneuvers. Control was later handed back to Northrop’s in-house Prism autonomy system, demonstrating the ability to switch between software platforms on the same airframe, the company said on March 19.
The test highlights a broader effort within the defense sector to develop open-architecture systems that allow different autonomy software to run on shared hardware. Such approaches are intended to reduce costs and shorten development timelines by avoiding the need to build new aircraft for each system.
According to the companies, the Hivemind software moved from testing to flight in a short timeframe, following a single-day hardware integration process. The system is designed to operate without a human pilot, enabling unmanned aircraft to adapt to changing conditions and carry out missions with limited oversight.
Northrop’s Talon IQ is built around a modular design using Scaled Composites’ Model 437 aircraft. The platform is part of a wider push to create test environments where government and industry partners can develop and validate autonomy technologies under common standards.
The integration also aligns with U.S. government efforts to standardize how defense technologies interact, with both companies noting compatibility with established interoperability frameworks.
The demonstration reflects growing competition among defense contractors and AI firms to deliver scalable autonomy solutions that can be deployed across multiple systems.