Airbus, in partnership with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc, has successfully completed the first flight of the “U740-Valkyrie” in Europe. This key milestone confirms that Airbus and Kratos are on track to deliver a combat-ready uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) by 2029, addressing the operational requirements of the German and other European Armed Forces.

Conducted at a test facility in Northern Europe, the flight achieved all objectives, including a runway independent rocket-assisted take-off, manoeuvers at various altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8, as well as in-flight mission adjustments. This debut paves the way for subsequent, more sophisticated flight tests with Airbus’ Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission system. Serving as the aircraft’s “European brain” and ensuring full control over software as well as mission applications, data and system hardware, MARS enables national German or European sovereignty from operational usage of the Valkyrie. MARS utilises AI-enhanced software to conduct missions autonomously and coordinate entire mission groups. A strict control hierarchy ensures a human remains on the loop, guaranteeing all critical decisions comply with established rules of engagement, as well as ethical and legal standards.

With a length of 9.1m and a wingspan of 8.2m, 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. The U740 Valkyrie 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.