Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is one of the best gun stocks to buy in 2026. On March 19, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) announced that its Talon IQ testbed completed its first-ever partner mission autonomy flight over Mojave, California. Talon IQ is a Model 437 aircraft built by Northrop’s Scaled Composites subsidiary. In this maiden autonomy flight, Talon IQ leveraged Shield AI’s Hivemind software, which served as the aircraft’s autonomous pilot.
Photo by Cibi Chakravarthi on Unsplash
According to the press release, Hivemind went through just a single day of hardware-in-the-loop validation before it was cleared for the actual flight. This speed, said Northrop, demonstrates how quickly third-party autonomy software can be onboarded to the Talon IQ platform.
Once airborne, Hivemind took full control of the aircraft. It directed the aircraft through combat air patrol and target engagement maneuvers in real time before the aircraft seamlessly handed control back to Northrop’s own Prism autonomy software. This validates that the two systems can operate interchangeably on the same platform, noted Northrop.
According to Northrop, Talon IQ is built around an open, plug-and-play design. This allows third-party autonomy systems to be swapped in with minimal friction, all while meeting US Government Reference Architecture standards. Put simply, developers don’t have to build a dedicated test aircraft every time they want to trial new software.
On March 17, Northrop Grumman underscored its role as a gun stock by accelerating delivery of the U.S. Army’s Integrated Battle Command System. This weapons integration program links sensors and interceptors into a unified fire control network, enabling faster targeting and engagement of missiles and aircraft. Backed by more than 120 U.S. suppliers and advanced manufacturing facilities, Northrop Grumman is producing thousands of components for rapid deployment, with full‑rate production already underway.
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is a US defense contractor that develops and manufactures systems for the aerospace, defense, and national security sectors. Through its subsidiaries, the company produces military gun systems, including automatic cannons and naval guns integrated into aircraft, ships, and armored vehicles.
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