MOJAVE, Calif. -- Northrop Grumman, after losing its initial bid for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) increment one program, has developed a new prototype called Project Talon, aiming for a first flight within nine months. Built with Scaled Composites in about 15 months, Talon expands beyond the air-to-air focus of CCA’s first increment and is designed for multiple mission profiles.

The project reflects a shift in Northrop’s engineering approach, emphasizing affordability, rapid manufacturing, and simplified design rather than maximizing subsystem performance. By reducing parts by half, lowering weight by roughly 1,000 pounds, and rethinking materials, the company cut build time by a third and improved performance margins, including range and speed.

Talon’s unveiling follows Lockheed Martin’s Vectis design and broader momentum across the CCA program, with recent prototype flights from Anduril and General Atomics and growing international interest. The Air Force could invest nearly $1 billion in CCAs over the next several years.

Source: Defense One
Associated URL: https://www.defenseone.com/business/2025/12/northrop-grumman-fly-new-improved-cca-offering-next-year/409926/?oref=d1-featured-river-top
Author: Lauren C. Williams 

HERNDON, Va. - HawkEye 360, provider of commercially shareable signals intelligence data and analytics, today announced the award of 23 months of dedicated funding from the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the Commercial Systems Program Office (CSPO) to expand its ongoing work.

Building on a relationship that began in January 2022, this expansion enables HawkEye 360 to deliver new dedicated satellite technology, broaden the range of signals and frequencies of interest, integrate advanced AI capabilities, and provide greater speed and accuracy in support of critical mission needs tied to U.S. European Command (EUCOM) activities, operational readiness, and security assistance.

Source: HawkEye 360
Associated URL: https://www.he360.com/

LONDON - Safran has launched Safran Tech UK, its first research and technology center outside France, to expand its innovation footprint in the United Kingdom. The new unit is intended to support the company’s broader growth across the UK aerospace sector.

The move follows Safran’s recent integration of actuation and flight-control businesses acquired from Collins Aerospace in 2025. With these additions, Safran now employs more than 5,500 people at 14 sites and generates roughly £1.5 billion in annual revenue in the UK.

The company’s UK operations span landing gear, seats, actuators, flight controls, nacelles, helicopter engines, and electrical systems. Sites cover the full value chain from research and design to manufacturing and maintenance.

Safran Tech UK will focus on propulsion and actuation electrification as well as high-performance composite materials. These areas align with Safran’s broader investment in low-carbon aviation technology.

The company says roughly three-quarters of its global R&T spending is directed toward decarbonization. The new center is intended to leverage the UK’s academic and industrial innovation ecosystem to accelerate this work.

The creation of Safran Tech UK reinforces the UK’s position as a major aerospace innovation hub and supports national efforts to develop cleaner aviation technologies. For Safran, localizing R&T activity near its expanding base of operations allows closer coordination with UK universities, suppliers, and government-funded programs focused on decarbonization. The move also deepens the company’s integration into the UK industrial ecosystem at a time when electrification, lightweight materials, and emissions-reduction technologies are becoming central to future aircraft development.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://www.safran-group.com/