Pictured is a Northrop Grumman photo of Project Talon.
YFQ-48A is the designation for Northrop Grumman‘s Project Talon series of drone contenders for the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, the service said on Dec. 22.
The YFQ-48A Mission Design Series designation “highlights the ongoing partnership between the Air Force and Northrop Grumman and acknowledges the continued progress of the YFQ-48A as a strong contender in the CCA program,” the Air Force said.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis, program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft, said in the statement that Northrop Grumman’s approach “aligns with our strategy to foster competition, drive industry innovation, and deliver cutting-edge technology at speed and scale.”
The YFQ-48A is the third drone in the CCA program to gain a designation.
General Atomics’ YFQ-42A CCA prototype, based on the company’s Gambit 2, is competing against Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A Fury for CCA Increment 1. The YFQ-42A began flight testing in August, and the YFQ-44A had its debut flight on Oct. 31.
Next year, the Air Force is to choose between the YFQ-42A and YFQ-44A and to begin CCA Increment 2 development, which may include the YFQ-48A.
Also next year, Talon may have its debut flight, the company said in December.
Northrop Grumman said in December that it used its Beacon autonomous testbed, announced in June, to accelerate development of Project Talon.
Modified for optionally autonomous flight, Beacon is a Model 437 Vanguard aircraft by Northrop Grumman-owned Scaled Composites, founded by aircraft designer and entrepreneur Burt Rutan in Mojave, Calif., in 1982.
“Built to fly alongside crewed fighters,” Project Talon “represents a paradigm shift in air dominance as an adaptive, collaborative teammate for combat missions,” Northrop Grumman said in December. “Project Talon combines greater mission versatility with the most advanced modular manufacturing techniques. This disruptive approach shortens timelines, emphasizing speed and simplicity…Project Talon was designed, built and on track to fly in under 24 months.”
A version of this story originally appeared in affiliate publication Defense Daily.