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Nominal Advances Testing and Validation for Future Naval Combat Aircraft

Nominal Advances Testing and Validation for Future Naval Combat Aircraft
Key Role in U.S. Navy Flight Test Demonstration
Nominal, a software company specializing in accelerating the deployment of mission-critical systems, has been instrumental in a recent U.S. Navy flight test demonstration designed to advance future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiatives. The demonstration was conducted in collaboration with the Naval Air Systems Command’s Strike Planning and Execution Program (PMA-281) and Aerial Targets Program (PMA-208). During the exercise, Shield AI and Kratos successfully operated two live BQM-177A subsonic aerial targets equipped with Shield AI’s Hivemind autonomy software.
Throughout the test, the aircraft executed autonomous mission behaviors supported by Nominal’s Core software platform, which facilitated test planning, data collection, and post-flight analysis. Cameron McCord, CEO and co-founder of Nominal, emphasized the importance of keeping testing aligned with development, stating, “Autonomy at scale depends on testing that keeps pace with development. Demonstrations like this show how modern testing can help the Department validate manned-unmanned collaborative autonomy faster while maintaining rigor and confidence.”
Enhancing Data Integration and Continuous Learning
Nominal Core played a critical role in rapidly ingesting and organizing flight telemetry alongside supporting test data, enabling Navy and industry teams to collaboratively evaluate autonomy performance, vehicle response, and mission execution. The platform also aggregated insights from historical flight tests, providing essential context and fostering continuous learning to inform future test cycles.
As the Navy advances AI-enabled autonomy and manned-unmanned teaming concepts, the BQM-177A remains an operationally relevant testbed for exercising sophisticated autonomy behaviors. Plans are underway to expand this demonstration with additional flight tests that will focus on more complex autonomy behaviors and mission scenarios.
Challenges and Competitive Landscape
Despite these advancements, the development of nominal testing and validation for future naval combat aircraft faces significant challenges. Ensuring compatibility with both current and next-generation naval systems, integrating advanced software-defined technologies, and meeting stringent performance and safety standards continue to pose considerable hurdles. The evolving defense landscape has intensified competition among contractors, with companies such as Saab and Divergent Technologies pioneering software-defined fuselage technologies. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy is accelerating development of its Peregrine and Proteus platforms, and the U.S. Navy is pursuing advanced anti-radiation missile capabilities, underscoring the urgency to integrate cutting-edge technologies.
These market dynamics are driving competitors to accelerate development timelines and increase investment in advanced technologies to maintain a strategic advantage. As the Department of Defense advances collaborative autonomy, modernized testing approaches like those demonstrated by Nominal will be essential to delivering warfighting capabilities within operationally relevant timeframes.
Founded in 2022, Nominal remains committed to transforming testing into a continuous, secure source of truth across complex defense programs, enabling the rapid and confident deployment of mission-critical systems. For further information, visit nominal.io.

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