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Northrop Grumman to start Beacon drone trials to expand AI use in future US military jets

As reported by Aviation Week on September 17, 2025, Northrop Grumman will conduct the first flight demonstrations for its Beacon autonomous testbed this year using the Scaled Composites-built Model 437 aircraft. The company announced that six initial partners, Applied Intuition, Autonodyne, Merlin, Red 6, Shield AI, and SoarTech, will use the platform to refine their autonomy software in live airborne conditions. A safety pilot will oversee operations, allowing control to switch between human and computer during missions, while the demonstrations will validate capabilities such as teaming, navigation, and mission-specific applications. Read full defense news at this link...

By combining third-party mission software with Northrop Grumman’s flight autonomy systems, the Beacon program allows partners to validate specialized capabilities such as navigation, teaming, and operational mission performance between piloted and fully autonomous modes. (Picture source: Northrop Grumman)



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