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The U.S. Air Force announced Dec. 22 that it has designated the Northrop Grumman Project Talon uncrewed aircraft prototype the YFQ-48A, signifying the service’s support for the internally developed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).
The designation comes as Northrop Grumman is refining its approach to the service’s next increment of the CCA program, and potentially competing for a production award for the first.
Assigning a mission designation series (MDS) is a “key step forward in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, underscoring the Air Force’s commitment to rapidly delivering next-generation capabilities,” the service says in an announcement.
Northrop Grumman unveiled the Project Talon CCA on Dec. 5, about a month after Aviation Week first reported on its existence. The aircraft, developed by the company’s Scaled Composites, is an iteration of the CCA Inc. 1 offer, but with a focus on making the aircraft more affordable to be produced at a higher scale than the initial approach.
Northrop was left out of the CCA Increment 1 down select last year, with the Air Force awarding contracts to Anduril and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. to build prototypes. But the service says it is still keeping competition for the first increment’s production open.
“We are encouraged by Northrop Grumman’s continued investment in developing advanced semi-autonomous capabilities,” Brig. Gen. Jason Voorheis, program executive officer for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft, said in the announcement. “Their approach aligns with our strategy to foster competition, drive industry innovation, and deliver cutting-edge technology at speed and scale.”
Northrop expects the aircraft to fly first in mid-2026. General Atomics’ YFQ-42A first flew in August, and Anduril’s YFQ-44A followed in October. Under the designation guidelines, Y means prototype, F for fighter and Q for uncrewed. The service has not disclosed other systems receiving designation numbers 45-47.
The Air Force says its acquisition strategy focuses on continuous competition, with multiple on-ramps for production. The service also announced that nine companies have been selected to refine their approaches for the next increment, with a down select expected next year.
“Northrop Grumman remains in a vendor pool that can compete for future efforts, including the Increment 1 production contract and subsequent increments,” an Air Force spokesperson tells Aviation Week.
Northrop is the only CCA design to be allocated an MDS outside of Anduril’s and General Atomics. For example, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works in September unveiled a new design called Vectis, which has not been publicly assigned an MDS.
“Northrop Grumman’s commitment to innovation, low-cost manufacturing, and calculated risk-taking aligns perfectly with the CCA acquisition strategy and the Secretary of [Defense’s] Acquisition Transformation Strategy,” Col. Timothy Helfrich, director of the Agile Development Office, says in the announcement. “Project Talon is a testament to their ability to push boundaries and experiment with new technologies, ultimately advancing solutions that could enhance the future of airpower.”
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