OSLO, — The Royal Navy will test Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue autonomous combat drone from a British aircraft carrier in 2027. The demonstration will examine how a jet-powered uncrewed aircraft can operate alongside the Navy's existing carrier air wing.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins announced the plan on November 10 during the International Sea Power Conference aboard HMS Prince of Wales in Oslo, Norway. The Royal Navy is scheduled to sign a Statement of Intent with Northrop Grumman on November 12, covering preparations for the trials under Project Vanquish. The demonstration in UK waters will include a carrier launch.
Project Vanquish Targets Carrier Operations
Launched in September 2025, Project Vanquish aims to demonstrate how autonomous combat aircraft can operate from Queen Elizabeth-class carriers without catapults or arresting wires.
Unlike U.S. supercarriers, British carriers use a 13-degree ski-jump ramp and are designed for short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. Operating and recovering a jet-powered drone without conventional launch and landing systems remains a key technical challenge.
Talon Blue Completes Autonomous Flight
The Talon Blue (YFQ-48A) is a single-turbofan, low-observable demonstrator developed by Northrop Grumman and its subsidiary Scaled Composites. Designed as a lower-cost, attritable platform, it is intended for higher-risk missions.
The aircraft completed its first fully autonomous flight on October 3, 2026, at Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The flight included taxiing, take-off, aerial manoeuvres and landing. Its design includes a high air intake, wide wheelbase and integrated weapons bay. Its exact unit cost has not been disclosed.
Integration With F-35B Fighters
The trial supports the Royal Navy's Hybrid Navy and Maritime Aviation Transformation plans, which aim to increase the use of uncrewed aircraft alongside crewed platforms. The future carrier air wing is expected to combine autonomous drones with F-35B stealth fighters and helicopters.
The Royal Navy has already tested propeller-driven drones, including the General Atomics Mojave and Tekever AR5, from its carriers. However, Talon Blue would be a major step towards operating jet-powered collaborative combat aircraft from British flight decks.
The 2027 demonstration could also provide useful information for other navies, including India, whose INS Vikrant uses a similar ski-jump carrier configuration without catapults or conventional arresting wires.
The upcoming trials will help establish the technical requirements for operating and recovering autonomous jet aircraft from British carriers and their safe integration with existing naval aviation assets.
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