Merlin Partners with Northrop Grumman to Advance Next-Generation Autonomous Flight
- Ritambhara K
- Aug 11
- 2 min read
Merlin, a leader in assured, autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft, has announced a new agreement with Northrop Grumman Corporation to integrate its flagship autonomy solution, the Merlin Pilot, into Northrop Grumman’s advanced testbed ecosystem, Beacon.
Unveiled in June 2025, Beacon is designed to accelerate the development of autonomous mission capabilities by offering an open-access platform where technology partners can test, validate, and refine their systems in alignment with U.S. government requirements.
Expanding Autonomy in Military Aviation
Merlin is currently the prime contractor with the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for integrating autonomous systems on the C-130J and is rapidly progressing similar work on the KC-135. The partnership with Northrop Grumman strengthens this momentum by advancing uncrewed systems, reducing integration risks, and supporting Merlin’s platform-agnostic strategy. A key element of this collaboration is the addition of the Scaled Composites-built Model 437 Vanguard—now modified for optionally autonomous flight—into Merlin’s expanding portfolio.
Role of the Model 437 and Merlin Pilot
The Model 437 enables faster airborne validation of new mission and flight autonomy software. As part of the collaboration, Merlin will supply its Merlin Pilot software for critical testing within the Beacon environment.
Merlin’s responsibilities will include:
Engineering integration for software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing and flight operations
Development of test procedures and related documentation
Participation in recurring planning sessions
Deployment of on-site personnel for flight testing in Mojave, California
Strategic Significance
“The demand for autonomous capabilities, especially in defense applications, is accelerating rapidly,” said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin. “Our collaboration with Northrop Grumman marks a major milestone in advancing mission autonomy—combining Merlin’s innovative software with the scale, rigor, and hardware expertise that Northrop Grumman offers. The Beacon project allows us to validate our technology on military aircraft and in mission-relevant environments, while also testing and adapting new capabilities from Northrop Grumman for future Merlin initiatives.”
Industry Collaboration for Faster Innovation
From Northrop Grumman’s perspective, Beacon is more than just a testbed—it’s a collaborative ecosystem.
“We look forward to working with our partners to integrate their innovative capabilities that will accelerate the development of future autonomous platforms,” said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Aeronautics Systems at Northrop Grumman.
“Beacon is about collaboration across industry between companies of all sizes and expertise. By providing access to the Beacon ecosystem, we’re enhancing innovation, creating new competition, and delivering autonomous capabilities to our customers with unmatched speed and at scale.”
Looking Ahead
With the integration of the Merlin Pilot into the Beacon ecosystem and the use of the optionally autonomous Model 437, both companies are positioning themselves at the forefront of next-generation mission autonomy. The partnership promises to drive rapid, scalable innovation in autonomous flight—impacting not just defense applications, but potentially the broader aerospace sector as well.
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