Airbus Defence and Space said Saturday it is preparing two uncrewed combat aircraft developed with U.S.-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions for their first flight equipped with a European mission system as part of efforts to develop an operational Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (UCCA) capability for the German Air Force by 2029.

Airbus facilities in Manching, near Munich, are currently preparing the aircraft, which are based on the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie platform. Airbus said the aircraft are expected to conduct their maiden flight later in 2026.

According to the company, the aircraft will be equipped with Airbus’s European-developed mission architecture known as the Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure system, or MARS. The system includes an artificial-intelligence-based software framework called “MindShare,” designed to coordinate missions among multiple manned and unmanned aircraft.

“By combining the Kratos Valkyrie with our MARS mission system, we are offering the German customer exactly what Germany and Europe urgently need in the current geopolitical situation,” said Marco Gumbrecht. He added that the approach allows the development of operational combat capabilities without building an entirely new aircraft from the ground up, potentially reducing cost and development time.

The Valkyrie platform, which first flew in the United States in 2019, has been designed as a relatively low-cost unmanned combat aircraft capable of supporting manned fighter jets or operating autonomously in coordinated groups. Airbus and Kratos are working together to integrate the European mission system and adapt the platform for potential operational use in Europe.

Steve Fendley said the collaboration combines the flight-proven Valkyrie system with Airbus’s mission architecture to create a multi-role platform capable of operating independently, in teams of unmanned aircraft, or alongside piloted fighters.

Airbus said the system could be integrated with the Eurofighter Typhoon, which may act as a command aircraft during joint missions. The company is working with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to enhance the Litening 5 targeting pod used by the Eurofighter with additional connectivity capabilities.

The Valkyrie aircraft measures about 9.1 metres in length with a wingspan of 8.2 metres and can fly at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet. It has a range of more than 5,000 kilometres and a maximum take-off weight of approximately three tonnes, according to Airbus.

The company said the unmanned aircraft could undertake missions considered too risky for piloted aircraft, including both kinetic and non-kinetic operations. Airbus aims to deliver a deployable UCCA capability for the German Air Force before the end of the decade, with flight testing expected to begin after the maiden flight scheduled for later this year.

Source: Airbus Press Release