- Airbus is preparing flight tests of a Valkyrie-based uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft equipped with its MARS mission system for the German Air Force.
- The system integrates the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie with Airbus autonomous mission software and is intended to deliver an operational unmanned combat capability for Germany by 2029.
Airbus is preparing flight tests of an unmanned collaborative combat aircraft system based on the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie as part of a program aimed at providing the German Air Force with an operational Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (UCCA) capability by 2029.
The work is taking place at Airbus facilities in Manching, near Munich, where engineers are currently preparing two Valkyrie aircraft acquired from U.S. partner Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. The aircraft will conduct their first flights later this year using a European mission system developed by Airbus.
Airbus said the two companies are combining their respective capabilities to integrate, missionise, and eventually produce a European version of the aircraft tailored for German operational requirements.
Airbus is equipping the aircraft with its Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission system, a European-developed software architecture designed to control uncrewed aircraft and coordinate operations across multiple platforms.
According to Airbus, the MARS system includes an artificial intelligence–supported control framework known as MindShare. The software is intended to replace the pilot in autonomous operations while also coordinating groups of manned and unmanned aircraft during missions.
“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: a proven flying uncrewed combat aircraft with a sovereign European mission system that does not have to be developed from scratch in a time-consuming and costly manner,” said Marco Gumbrecht, Head of Key Account Germany at Airbus Defence and Space.
“Our objective is to deliver credible combat capability in time of relevance, while assuring key sovereign aspects. And we are confident that we can do this at a very affordable price – which is a key driver for UCCAs,” he added.
Kratos officials said the project builds on the flight-tested XQ-58A Valkyrie, which has been flying in the United States since 2019.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity, the capability we’re providing, and the teaming relationship with Airbus,” said Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division.
“By taking the flight-proven and in-production Valkyrie and integrating the Airbus MARS mission system, the Airbus-missionised Valkyrie UCCA is a multi-mission, affordable system that can operate independently, in teams of UAS, or in Manned-Unmanned-Teaming operations,” he said.
Fendley added that the system is designed to be produced in larger numbers at lower cost.
“Along with the technical and production backing Airbus and Kratos bring, we are realising an optimal capability system that can be bought and deployed as ‘affordable mass’; the consistent discriminator identified in today’s peer to peer wargames,” he said.
As part of the broader concept, Airbus is also working to enable the Eurofighter to act as a command aircraft capable of controlling unmanned systems.
To support this role, Airbus and Rafael are enhancing the Litening 5 Advanced Targeting Pod, which is already contracted for the Eurofighter fleet. The upgrade will add new connectivity capabilities allowing the fighter to interact with unmanned aircraft during operations.
Airbus said that along with limited avionics updates to the Eurofighter, the system is intended to improve cross-platform connectivity and expand combat options for the aircraft during missions.
The Kratos Valkyrie platform itself is designed as a relatively low-cost unmanned aircraft capable of performing a range of combat roles.
The aircraft measures 9.1 meters in length with a wingspan of 8.2 meters and has a range of more than 5,000 kilometers. Its maximum take-off weight is approximately three tons, and it can operate at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet.
Unlike traditional fighter aircraft, the Valkyrie does not require a conventional runway for launch. The system can be launched using rocket assist from a ground-based launcher mounted on a transport trailer.
Recovery is performed using parachutes and airbags, allowing the aircraft to land without a runway.
The platform also includes an internal weapons bay designed to carry small munitions. Earlier test flights conducted in the United States demonstrated the ability to integrate such payloads with the aircraft.
The United States Air Force has previously described the XQ-58A Valkyrie as an example of a new class of unmanned aircraft designed to operate alongside manned combat aircraft.
Such systems are often referred to as collaborative combat aircraft, meaning they can fly independently or coordinate with fighter jets as part of a distributed mission team.
Airbus said the German version of the aircraft could operate autonomously or be directed by a Eurofighter acting as a command platform. In such scenarios, the unmanned aircraft could perform missions considered too risky for a pilot.
These tasks may include operations in heavily defended airspace or missions requiring extended presence near hostile defenses.
The maiden flight of the Airbus-configured Valkyrie variant is scheduled to take place later in 2026, according to Airbus.
If development proceeds as planned, the system could provide the German Air Force with an operational UCCA capability by 2029.