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FlightGlobal • Ryan Finnerty

Pratt & Whitney PW500 selected to power Northrop Grumman YFQ-48A Talon Blue CCA drone

Northrop Grumman’s self-funded, single-engine Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) design, the YFQ-48A Talon Blue, will use a Pratt & Whitney PW500 turbofan from the PW500 family. RTX/Pratt & Whitney says the propulsion system is being integrated on the autonomous fighter prototype, marking P&W’s entry into the CCA race.

2026-04-17T15:16:11.915042-07:00

Breaking Defense

Northrop Grumman proves in-flight hot-swap autonomy on Talon IQ testbed, completing 3-hour mission software flight test

2026-04-17T15:37:14.670447-07:00

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force tests Anduril YFQ-44A Fury semiautonomous jet-powered combat drone

2026-04-17T12:59:53.196480-07:00

Breaking Defense

Baykar unveils K2 AI-enabled kamikaze drone with swarming capabilities as part of cost-effective defense solutions

2026-04-17T06:38:16.103923-07:00

News Timeline

Breaking Defense

Northrop Grumman proves in-flight hot-swap autonomy on Talon IQ testbed, completing 3-hour mission software flight test Northrop Grumman completed an eighth mission-autonomy software flight test in Mojave, California, using the Talon IQ testbed. The company says it demonstrated mid-flight hot-swapping of “AI brains”/autonomy software—queueing different companies’ behaviors to control the platform—during a three-hour sortie.

2026-04-17T15:37:14.670447-07:00

Northrop Grumman proves in-flight hot-swap autonomy on Talon IQ testbed, completing 3-hour mission software flight test

FlightGlobal

Pratt & Whitney PW500 selected to power Northrop Grumman YFQ-48A Talon Blue CCA drone Northrop Grumman’s self-funded, single-engine Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) design, the YFQ-48A Talon Blue, will use a Pratt & Whitney PW500 turbofan from the PW500 family. RTX/Pratt & Whitney says the propulsion system is being integrated on the autonomous fighter prototype, marking P&W’s entry into the CCA race.

2026-04-17T15:16:11.915042-07:00

Pratt & Whitney PW500 selected to power Northrop Grumman YFQ-48A Talon Blue CCA drone

DefenseNews.com

US Air Force tests Anduril YFQ-44A Fury semiautonomous jet-powered combat drone An Air Force unit has executed experimental testing by operating Anduril’s YFQ-44A Fury, a jet-powered, semiautonomous combat drone intended to fly alongside manned fighters. The programme is moving through a critical test phase as the service evaluates its teaming and combat-utility concepts.

2026-04-17T12:59:53.196480-07:00

US Air Force tests Anduril YFQ-44A Fury semiautonomous jet-powered combat drone

Breaking Defense

Baykar unveils K2 AI-enabled kamikaze drone with swarming capabilities as part of cost-effective defense solutions Baykar says its newly unveiled K2 kamikaze drone—designed around AI and swarming—fits within the company’s “cost-effective defense solutions” strategy. The K2 is positioned as a mid-range, battlefield-focused uncrewed system, drawing on lessons from early Ukraine-conflict drone performance.

2026-04-17T06:38:16.103923-07:00

Baykar unveils K2 AI-enabled kamikaze drone with swarming capabilities as part of cost-effective defense solutions

Air Data News

USAF puts operational crews in the loop for Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototype flight tests The U.S. Air Force conducted an early field exercise at Edwards Air Force Base in which operational personnel, not test pilots, took direct control of a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototype. The effort—run by the Experimental Operations Unit (EOU)—aims to validate how the system fits real missions and tactics.

2026-04-17T02:01:02.552594-07:00

USAF puts operational crews in the loop for Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototype flight tests

eVTOL Insights

CHINA: AutoFlight transports spring tea in trial using its CarryAll two-ton class eVTOL aircraft

2026-04-17T01:50:01.492317-07:00

CHINA: AutoFlight transports s

Bloomberg

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FAA investigating alleged illegal drone flights near Coors Field during Rockies games The FAA is probing more than half a dozen drone operators accused of flying too close to Coors Field in Denver during home games of Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies. Authorities say the sightings triggered law-enforcement efforts to locate the operators and prompted a warning about operating in restricted airspace.

2026-04-16T20:17:24.378554-07:00

FAA investigating alleged illegal drone flights near Coors Field during Rockies games

Aviation Today

GA-ASI sets no date to resume YFQ-42A Dark Merlin flight testing after mishap General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has paused flight testing of its YFQ-42A Dark Merlin prototype for the US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, following a mishap during development work. GA-ASI says it will not provide a timetable for resumption of flights while the investigation and review continue.

2026-04-16T14:50:46.363033-07:00

GA-ASI sets no date to resume YFQ-42A Dark Merlin flight testing after mishap

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UAV Development & Drone Programs News

Pratt & Whitney PW500 selected to power Northrop Grumman YFQ-48A Talon Blue CCA drone

Northrop Grumman proves in-flight hot-swap autonomy on Talon IQ testbed, completing 3-hour mission software flight test

US Air Force tests Anduril YFQ-44A Fury semiautonomous jet-powered combat drone

Baykar unveils K2 AI-enabled kamikaze drone with swarming capabilities as part of cost-effective defense solutions

News Timeline