Airbus U740 Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft makes its first flight in Europe

Airbus has completed the first flight in Europe of the U740 Valkyrie, an uncrewed combat aircraft based on the airframe of Kratos’ Valkyrie. The aircraft took off with rocket assistance and performed manoeuvres at various altitudes at speeds of up to Mach 0.8. The flight took place at a test facility in Northern Europe that Airbus does not name.

The U740 is being developed as an uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to operate alongside crewed aircraft such as the Eurofighter. Airbus and Kratos say they aim to deliver an operational CCA by 2029.

What the first flight showed

According to Airbus’ press release, the flight included:

• a rocket-assisted take-off, with no runway needed,
• manoeuvres at different altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8,
• in-flight mission changes.

The company says all test objectives were achieved. Kratos President and CEO Eric DeMarco called the flight “an amazing success”. The press release, issued on October 12, does not give the date of the flight.

The MARS mission system

Airbus is offering the aircraft with its own mission system, MARS, which it calls a “European brain”. The company says flight tests with MARS will follow. MARS (Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure) uses AI-enabled software for autonomous missions and mission-group coordination, while a control hierarchy keeps a human on the loop so that critical decisions follow the rules of engagement and ethical and legal standards. According to Airbus, the system ensures German and European sovereignty over software, mission applications, data and hardware.

MARS includes an AI software package, MindShare, which replaces the pilot and can coordinate entire mission groups across several crewed and uncrewed platforms. Airbus has not said whether the first flight was also used for initial checks of MARS.

The aircraft’s specifications

Airbus gives the following figures:

• length 9.1 metres and wingspan 8.2 metres,
• maximum take-off weight of about 3 tonnes,
• range of more than 5,000 kilometres,
• service ceiling of 45,000 feet,
• an internal weapons bay and external payload stations under the wings,
• rail launch, with the option of conventional take-off and landing from a runway.

It is designed to operate autonomously or under the control of crewed fighters.

The role alongside the Eurofighter

According to Airbus, the Valkyrie will enhance crewed fighters such as the Eurofighter with greater range, firepower and survivability. Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said air forces “require affordable combat mass” in a high-threat environment. The programme addresses the needs of the German and other European armed forces. Kratos is seeking CCA opportunities “in Germany and other parts of the world”. The release does not mention an order.

Airbus presented the U740 Valkyrie as its own variant of the XQ-58A for the European market at ILA 2026 in Berlin. In March it announced that it was preparing the first two Valkyries it bought from Kratos for a first flight with a European mission system. The company says it wants to deliver the aircraft as an operational, sovereign uncrewed CCA to the German Air Force and European customers by 2029. According to Airbus, it can produce kinetic and non-kinetic effects, and work is initially focused on one specific role.

Airbus Defence also announced the flight on X:

“The ride of the Valkyrie. With the successful first flight of the Airbus U740 Valkyrie in Europe, we are one step closer to introducing an operational uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to the German and other European Armed Forces.” (@AirbusDefence, October 12, 2026)