Northrop Grumman’s Talon IQ testbed hot-swaps AI brains mid-flight

“While the aircraft was flying, the software was queued up so that we could have different companies’ behaviors take control of the platform and fly [it],” said Dan Salluce, Northrop’s senior director for aerospace systems.

“While the aircraft was flying, the software was queued up so that we could have different companies’ behaviors take control of the platform and fly [it],” said Dan Salluce, Northrop’s senior director for aerospace systems.

This development reflects broader trends in defence procurement and industry consolidation as governments worldwide increase defence spending in response to evolving security threats.

Source: Breaking Defense. Read the full report at https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/northrop-grummans-talon-iq-testbed-hot-swaps-ai-brains-mid-flight/