BOSTON: In a significant step towards aviation autonomy, Merlin, a leading developer of assured, autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft, has partnered with Northrop Grumman to integrate its advanced Merlin Pilot autonomy software onto Northrop Grumman’s cutting-edge Beacon testbed ecosystem. This latest agreement, revealed today, positions both companies at the vanguard of next-generation uncrewed flight capabilities and rapid technology validation.
Launched in June 2025, Northrop Grumman’s Beacon is purpose-built to accelerate the evolution of autonomous mission systems. Unlike traditional, closed test programs, Beacon is designed as an open-access, collaborative environment. Here, technology partners—including innovators like Merlin—can rigorously test, validate, and refine their systems in scenarios that mirror real-world government and defense demands.
With the aviation sector’s increasing pivot to uncrewed and reduced-crew operations, the partnership promises far-reaching implications for both military and civilian applications. By incorporating Merlin’s autonomy technologies into the Beacon ecosystem, Northrop Grumman paves the way for unprecedented competition and innovation in the nascent autonomous flight sector.
Merlin brings to this partnership a proven portfolio. The company serves as the prime contractor for the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) on fixed-wing autonomy for the C-130J. Merlin is also advancing efforts to retrofit the KC-135 Stratotanker for reduced-crew operations, underscoring its versatility and reliability in the defense arena.
The collaboration further extends Merlin’s platform-agnostic strategy, notably through the integration of its Merlin Pilot system into the Scaled Composites-built Model 437 Vanguard—now upgraded for optionally autonomous operation. This aircraft will be a cornerstone of the Beacon testbed, enabling rapid airborne validation of mission and flight autonomy software.
Merlin’s role in the project is hands-on and comprehensive. The company will provide critical engineering integration for software-in-the-loop (SIL) testing, support both ground-based and in-flight test operations, help develop test protocols and documentation, contribute to recurring collaborative planning sessions, and deploy teams on-site for live flight tests in Mojave, California.
This direct involvement ensures that Merlin’s autonomy stack is not only evaluated in a controlled setting but also in real-world mission scenarios—delivering operationally relevant results and paving the way for rapid adaptation and deployment.
“The demand for autonomous capabilities, especially in defense applications, is accelerating rapidly,” stated Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin. “Through this collaboration, we’re marrying Merlin’s cutting-edge autonomy with Northrop Grumman’s scale and hardware expertise. The Beacon project lets us validate our solutions in military environments—and work with Northrop Grumman’s innovations for the next advances in Merlin’s own systems.”
Tom Jones, Corporate Vice President and President of Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems sector, echoed the excitement: “Beacon is about collaboration—integrating innovations from partners, regardless of size or specialty, to move autonomous platforms forward. By opening Beacon, we aim to drive greater innovation, foster competition, and deliver the autonomous capabilities our customers need—quickly and at scale.”
For Merlin, the partnership represents a strategic leap, allowing acceleration of its technology roadmap and real-world validation across diverse platforms. For Northrop Grumman, adding industry partners to Beacon broadens the ecosystem and sharpens the company’s edge in addressing urgent defense requirements.
With the Beacon testbed, both firms are leading the charge toward a future where assured, validated autonomy underpins safer, more effective, and more flexible fixed-wing operations—whether piloted, partially crewed, or fully uncrewed.
Merlin is a venture-backed aerospace startup dedicated to building the industry’s first non-human pilot for reduced-crew and uncrewed flight. The company is backed by world-class investors and is advancing autonomy in partnership with leading aviation customers.
Northrop Grumman is a global leader in aerospace and defense, delivering pioneering solutions that equip customers to connect, protect, and explore the world—defining what’s possible in aerospace every day.
This partnership may be remembered as the turning point where artificial intelligence became a trusted pilot in the skies.
