29 April 2026

RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Engine Powers Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue Autonomous Wingman

Pratt & Whitney is supplying a PW500-series engine to power Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue Collaborative Combat Aircraft, adapting proven commercial propulsion technology for autonomous military operations. Following an extensive test programme simulating CCA mission conditions, the engine has demonstrated favourable thrust, range, and operability, supporting upcoming flight tests while leveraging more than 24.5 million…

A member of the Pratt & Whitney PW500 engine family is the propulsion system for Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).

Commercial engine technology adapted for CCA mission requirements

Pratt & Whitney, an RTX business, is providing the propulsion system for Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). A member of Pratt & Whitney’s PW500 engine family is integrated into the aircraft and is ready to power flight tests.

Pratt & Whitney worked in close collaboration with Northrop Grumman on engine requirements and integration, while also undertaking an extensive engine test program to expand the commercial limits of its PW500 engine family for Talon Blue. This testing simulated flight and operational conditions unique to CCA missions and resulted in favourable thrust, range and operability results.

“Leveraging commercial technology allowed us to innovate faster, while balancing cost and critical performance enhancements for the CCA mission,” said Peter Sommerkorn, vice president of Military Development Programs at Pratt & Whitney. “The Pratt & Whitney team took a production engine, with more than 24.5 million flight hours, self-invested in key validation and capability improvement, and integrated it into Talon Blue.”

The YFQ-48A Talon Blue uses composite materials and features a 50% reduction in parts. One thousand pounds lighter than previous designs, it enables rapid assembly to deliver affordable mass. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)

The PW500 engine family is one of several in-production commercial engines available to address the broad spectrum of CCA aircraft in development today. In addition to domestic pursuits, Pratt & Whitney is also on contract with an international customer and is discussing additional opportunities with airframers.