Airbus, in partnership with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., has completed the first European flight of the U740 Valkyrie, an uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), at a test facility in Northern Europe. The milestone confirms the companies remain on track to deliver a combat-ready CCA by 2029, addressing the operational requirements of the German and other European armed forces.

The flight achieved all of its objectives, including a runway-independent, rocket-assisted take-off, manoeuvres at various altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8, and in-flight mission adjustments. It paves the way for more sophisticated flight tests with Airbus’ Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission system, which Airbus describes as the aircraft’s “European brain,” giving operators full control over software, mission applications, data and system hardware and enabling national German or European sovereignty over the Valkyrie’s operational use. MARS uses AI-enhanced software to conduct missions autonomously and coordinate entire mission groups, within a strict control hierarchy designed to keep a human on the loop so that critical decisions comply with established rules of engagement and ethical and legal standards.

“In an increasingly complex and contested threat environment, air forces require affordable combat mass,” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “By pairing Kratos’ proven airframe as a ‘program of record’ with Airbus’ sovereign European mission system, we are able to offer a robust, sovereign, affordable, and combat-ready CCA system by the end of the decade. The Valkyrie will also play a critical role in enhancing crewed combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter with extended range, firepower, and survivability. The aircraft design enables operational resilience through its rail launch capability, while offering conventional, runway based, take-off and landing as an option.”

“First flights typically include plenty of learning opportunities, but with the maturity of the Valkyrie system and the well-integrated Airbus and Kratos team, this flight was an amazing success,” said Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos. “We’re proud to be partnering with Airbus on the CCA opportunities in Germany and other parts of the world. Combining the strengths of Kratos and Airbus enables the affordable Valkyrie system and Kratos’ CCA and drone manufacturing legacy to evolve with MARS and Airbus’ other high-capability subsystems, experience, and extensive knowledge across the full aerospace spectrum.”

With a length of 9.1 metres and a wingspan of 8.2 metres, the U740 Valkyrie features an internal weapons bay and external payload stations under the wings. It has a maximum take-off weight of approximately three tonnes, a range exceeding 5,000 kilometres and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, and is engineered to operate autonomously or under the command of crewed fighters such as the Eurofighter to execute high-risk missions and protect crewed assets.