Northrop Grumman has announced that its YFQ-48 Talon Blue has flown for the first time. The aircraft is the company's entry in the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, which aims to field autonomous unmanned wingmen that fly alongside crewed fighters.

The Talon Blue, designated YFQ-48A by the Air Force, is intended to augment crewed aircraft such as the F-15EX, F-22, and F-35. Northrop Grumman has funded the aircraft's development internally.

The first flight took place above the Mojave Desert in California, following taxi tests conducted months earlier. The flight marks a milestone in the program's push toward a rapidly fielded autonomous wingman.

Source: The War Zone