Lockheed Martin is seeking to integrate additional Moroccan manufacturers into its global aerospace and defense supply chain, following an executive delegation tour of industrial facilities in Tangiers.

In a press release issued on December 12, 2024, the manufacturer detailed the visit, which was conducted in collaboration with the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE). The initiative aligns with Morocco’s broader ambitions to establish itself as a major regional aerospace hub supporting advanced platforms, including the F-35 Lightning II.

Expanding the Moroccan supply chain

The delegation was led by Tim Cahill, president of Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control division, and Joseph Rank, chief executive for Lockheed Martin in Africa and Saudi Arabia. The facility tour followed the company’s participation in the Marrakesh International Airshow, which took place from October 30 to November 2, 2024.

During the tour, executives visited Eaton-Souriau Tangiers, a facility that produces essential aerospace components and has been part of Lockheed Martin’s supply chain for almost two decades. The manufacturer stated that this existing collaboration supports its defense systems across multiple platforms while building the local industrial workforce. The group also evaluated Ausare, a Mecachrome Group company, for potential future collaboration.

Lockheed Martin’s long history of collaboration with Morocco reflects our shared commitment to advancing defense capabilities, fostering local industrial growth and creating new economic opportunities.

Cahill stated that the company intends to expand its presence to support the country’s defense priorities while generating employment and attracting regional investment.

A half-century of defense partnership

Lockheed Martin’s engagement with Morocco began in 1974 with the delivery of the first C-130H aircraft to the Royal Moroccan Air Force. The country has since become a primary regional partner, operating platforms that include the F-16 Fighting Falcon, Sikorsky Helicopters, and various radar systems.

In 2022, Lockheed Martin supported the establishment of Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM), a joint venture designed to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. The MAM facility supports both Moroccan and regional operators of F-16 and C-130H fleets, anchoring the manufacturer’s long-term sustainment footprint in the region.

The manufacturer stated that expanding its relationship with Moroccan suppliers is part of a broader effort to leverage the country’s advanced manufacturing capabilities for its global operations, marking a continuation of a 50-year industrial partnership.

Northrop Grumman’s internally funded YFQ-48A Talon Blue uncrewed combat aircraft completed its first fully autonomous flight on October 3, 2026, at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. The milestone flight included autonomous taxi, takeoff, in-flight maneuvers, and landing, validating the manufacturer’s pivot toward a rapidly producible, lower-cost platform for the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program.

In a press release issued today, Northrop Grumman confirmed the successful test, which positions the aircraft as a primary contender for future increments of the military’s uncrewed wingman initiatives. The flight demonstrates the viability of the company’s Prism autonomy software and the modular manufacturing techniques developed by its Scaled Composites subsidiary.

Rapid prototyping and autonomous capabilities

The Talon Blue flight test program is designed to validate both the aerodynamic performance of the airframe and the reliability of its underlying software architecture. The aircraft operates using Northrop Grumman’s Prism Mission Autonomy software. The system was developed using data from more than 500,000 autonomous flight hours across the company’s broader uncrewed portfolio.

Craig Woolston, Vice President and General Manager for Research and Advanced Design at Northrop Grumman, stated that customers require autonomous systems that can be fielded faster and more affordably without sacrificing mission effectiveness. Woolston described the first flight as one step toward a new generation of autonomous capabilities, noting that every flight strengthens the company’s broader autonomy work.

To keep development and production costs low, the YFQ-48A is powered by a Pratt & Whitney PW500 commercial turbofan engine variant. Pratt & Whitney announced the successful integration and initial engine start of the adapted powerplant in April 2026. The use of a commercial off-the-shelf engine aligns with the Pentagon’s push for affordable mass in its future uncrewed fleets.

From Project Talon to the YFQ-48A

The YFQ-48A Talon Blue originated from Northrop Grumman’s unsuccessful bid for Increment 1 of the U.S. Air Force CCA program, which was awarded to General Atomics for the YFQ-42A Dark Merlin and Anduril for the YFQ-44A Fury. Following that decision, Northrop Grumman internally funded a rapid development program initially known as Project Lotus, and later Project Talon, to design a smaller, simpler, and cheaper uncrewed fighter.

The resulting aircraft achieved a 1,000-pound weight reduction compared to the company’s original CCA Increment 1 proposal. Engineers at Scaled Composites also reduced the total part count by 50 percent and cut construction time by 30 percent. The rapid prototyping effort allowed the aircraft to stand on its own landing gear just 15 months after program authorization.

Northrop Grumman publicly unveiled the aircraft at the Mojave Air and Space Port on December 3, 2025. Later that month, the U.S. Air Force officially assigned the Mission Design Series designation YFQ-48A to the platform, signaling continued government interest despite the Increment 1 loss. The company officially named the aircraft Talon Blue in February 2026. Prior to the October 3 first flight, the aircraft completed autonomous taxi tests at Mojave in May 2026.

Market context and future testing

The YFQ-48A competes in a rapidly expanding market for loyal wingman drones. Beyond the Increment 1 winners from General Atomics and Anduril, the Talon Blue faces competition from the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat and the Lockheed Martin Vectis. The U.S. Air Force awarded concept refinement contracts for CCA Increment 2 in late 2025 and early 2026, keeping the door open for manufacturers that did not secure initial production contracts.

The Pentagon’s acquisition strategy for these systems heavily emphasizes open architecture, specifically the Autonomy Government Reference Architecture. This framework is designed to prevent vendor lock-in by ensuring that flight control and mission software can be swapped between different airframes. In March 2026, Northrop Grumman and Shield AI demonstrated this capability by conducting successful test flights of the Talon IQ testbed using both Northrop’s Prism and Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software.

Broader military interest in uncrewed systems is also growing. The U.S. Army recently directed the creation of a Futures and Autonomous Systems Command, setting a fiscal 2028 deadline for fielding priority autonomous systems. Northrop Grumman plans to continue flight testing the Talon Blue through late 2026 and 2027 to expand the flight envelope and validate mission systems, positioning the aircraft for potential U.S. Air Force contracts or international sales.

AirPro News analysis

The successful first flight of the Talon Blue represents a significant strategic recovery for Northrop Grumman following its exclusion from the initial Collaborative Combat Aircraft contract awards. By self-funding the YFQ-48A and leveraging commercial components like the Pratt & Whitney PW500 engine, the manufacturer is directly addressing the U.S. Air Force’s demand for affordable mass. The rapid 15-month development cycle executed by Scaled Composites proves that traditional prime contractors can adapt to match the agile development pace of newer defense technology entrants like Anduril.

We expect the open-architecture approach demonstrated by the Talon IQ testbed to be a decisive factor as the military evaluates contenders for Increment 2. The ability to seamlessly integrate third-party software like Shield AI’s Hivemind onto the Talon Blue airframe aligns perfectly with the Pentagon’s strategy to decouple hardware procurement from software development. If Northrop Grumman can prove the 30 percent reduction in construction time translates to scalable, low-cost manufacturing, the YFQ-48A will be a formidable competitor in the next phase of the CCA program.

Shield AI has selected Des Moines, Washington, and Newton, Kansas, to anchor the production and flight testing of its X-BAT autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fighter jet, a program projected to support nearly 10,000 jobs and generate $78 billion in regional economic impact over the next two decades.

The September 30 announcement outlines a major industrial scale-up for the San Diego-based defense technology company. In a press release, Shield AI detailed plans to establish its primary manufacturing hub in the Pacific Northwest while centralizing flight testing and sustainment operations in the Midwest.

Manufacturing footprint in the Pacific Northwest

The company will establish its primary production center, designated X-Forge 3, in Des Moines, Washington. The 420,000-square-foot facility is being developed by Panattoni on property owned by the Port of Seattle, located within the Des Moines Creek 2 light industrial park.

According to local officials, the Des Moines site represents an estimated $300 million direct investment in the city. Shield AI projects the facility will support 8,000 jobs in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue region by the early 2030s, with an estimated average annual salary of $150,000 for workers at the site.

The location leverages the established aerospace manufacturing base in the Puget Sound region. Armor Harris, Senior Vice President of Aircraft at Shield AI, noted the area has been producing aircraft at high rates for seventy years and possesses the necessary engineers, technicians, and suppliers.

Des Moines Mayor Yoshiko Grace Matsui welcomed the development, highlighting the city’s connection to the broader regional industry.

“Des Moines is known for its historic charm, beautiful marina, and stunning Puget Sound setting. But we are also a community of builders who helped build the world’s most innovative aerospace economy,” Matsui said.

Flight testing and sustainment in the Midwest

While manufacturing will take place in Washington, every X-BAT will undergo flight testing in Newton, Kansas, before delivery to customers. The Newton site, designated X-Forge 2, will also serve as the long-term sustainment hub for the fleet.

Shield AI projects the Kansas operations will support 1,800 jobs in the Newton area by the early 2030s, growing to 2,900 jobs by 2046. The company estimates the facility will add $5 billion to the regional economy over the next two decades.

State and federal representatives highlighted the region’s deep aviation history as a key factor in the selection. U.S. Congressman Ron Estes stated that Shield AI chose Newton because of the experience of Kansans who have been building and flying airplanes for more than a century.

Kansas Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland echoed this sentiment, noting that the state’s aviation expertise will help keep the X-BAT fleet flying for decades.

Production timeline and the X-BAT program

Founded in 2015, Shield AI focuses on developing intelligent systems to protect service members. The company is known for its Hivemind autonomy software and the V-BAT Group 3 unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The X-BAT represents a significant expansion into full-scale combat aircraft.

First unveiled publicly in 2025, the X-BAT is an AI-piloted fighter jet designed with eVTOL capabilities. The aircraft is engineered to operate independently of traditional runways, allowing it to launch from austere locations, roads, clearings, or maritime vessels. This design addresses the strategic vulnerability of fixed airbases to long-range missile attacks, providing what the company describes as runway-independent airpower.

The production announcement follows a series of recent milestones for the company’s autonomy architecture. On September 28, 2026, Shield AI and Kraken Technology Group demonstrated Hivemind-enabled autonomous maritime teaming, showcasing the versatility of the software that will pilot the X-BAT. Earlier in the year, on April 20, the U.S. Navy selected Shield AI to compete for $800 million in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services using the V-BAT platform.

The X-Forge 3 facility in Washington is expected to open in the spring of 2027. Local officials and company executives anticipate the first X-BAT will roll off the production line in 2028. Shield AI’s official timeline states that formal production is planned to begin in 2029. This slight variance likely reflects the transition from initial low-rate prototype completion to the commencement of full-scale manufacturing.

By the early 2030s, the program is expected to reach full-rate production, delivering approximately 150 aircraft per year. The company also maintains a prototyping facility, designated X-Forge 1, in Frisco, Texas.

AirPro News analysis

The decision to split production and testing between Washington and Kansas reflects a maturing industrial strategy for autonomous combat aircraft. By locating manufacturing in the Puget Sound region, Shield AI can tap into an existing, highly skilled aerospace workforce and a dense supplier network built around legacy commercial and defense programs. Conversely, placing flight testing in Kansas provides access to less congested airspace and a regulatory environment accustomed to experimental and developmental flight operations. We view this dual-hub approach as a necessary step for scaling production of autonomous systems, moving the industry away from boutique prototyping and toward the high-volume manufacturing rates required by modern defense strategies.