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.

Northrop Grumman's Talon IQ demonstrates a successful mission autonomy flight in Mojave, Calif. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)

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.

About Northrop Grumman:
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers' toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.

About Accelint:
Accelint delivers AI, autonomy, and mission systems that are shaped by real-world operators, open by design, fielded fast and proven across domains. Whether in the field, at the edge, or behind the scenes, our tech helps teams cut through complexity, anticipate threats, and act decisively. For over 25 years the DoD and our allies have trusted Accelint with their hardest challenges.

About Applied Intuition:
Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company's solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.