MBDA Deutschland has announced that its upgraded SHARCS flying laboratory is now ready for deployment, presenting the system as a key enabler in the development of remote carriers for future European combat air programs.
In a post this week, the company said the upgraded SHARCS platform is equipped with new hardware and configured to support early testing of avionics, algorithms, sensors, data links, and networking within a larger system-of-systems architecture. The project is aimed at accelerating product cycles by bringing advanced testing out of simulation and into real-world conditions.
“Ready for take off” is how MBDA framed the readiness of SHARCS, underscoring the role of the flying laboratory as an innovation tool.
The company emphasized that by using SHARCS as a testbed, developers can validate technologies more quickly, feeding directly into the ongoing Remote Carrier product line that will operate alongside next-generation aircraft under the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) framework.
The company also stressed that the SHARCS program demonstrates MBDA’s ability to iterate rapidly in product development. Bringing together avionics testing, secure networking, and operationally relevant electronic warfare effects, the platform allows developers to evaluate systems under realistic conditions rather than relying solely on ground-based simulation.
SHARCS is one of MBDA’s answers to the challenge of developing those carriers at speed and with sufficient technical maturity to meet operational demands. By serving as a field-deployable lab, it shortens the feedback loop between design, testing, and refinement.