Airbus and Kratos: First Successful Test Flight in Europe for Valkyrie Combat Drone
Airbus and its American partner Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced, in a statement released on October 12, 2026 from Ottobrunn and Taufkirchen (Germany), that this test flight keeps them on schedule. The objective is to provide a combat-ready collaborative pilotless combat aircraft intended for the German armed forces and other European armies.
Successful Test Flight in Northern Europe
The flight took place at a test site in Northern Europe and achieved all the objectives set by the two partners. The program included rocket-assisted takeoff, independent of a runway, maneuvers at different altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8, as well as in-flight mission adjustments.
This first phase should make it possible to launch more complex flight tests with Airbus's mission system, called MARS (Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure). Presented as the "European brain" of the aircraft, this system ensures complete control of software, mission applications, data and hardware. According to the statement, it enables German or European national sovereignty in the operational use of the Valkyrie.
MARS relies on software enhanced by artificial intelligence to conduct missions autonomously and coordinate entire mission groups. A strict hierarchy of control keeps a human operator in the loop, so that all critical decisions comply with rules of engagement as well as ethical and legal standards.
A Kratos Airframe Associated with Airbus's European Mission System
For Mike Schoellhorn, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Defence and Space, "air forces need an affordable combat mass" in an increasingly "complex and contested threat environment". The executive specified that the combination of the Kratos airframe, derived from a "program of record", and Airbus's European mission system should make it possible to propose a CCA system by the end of the decade. According to him, the Valkyrie is set to increase the range, firepower and survivability of manned combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter.
The aircraft can be launched from a rail, with an optional conventional runway takeoff and landing capability. Eric DeMarco, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kratos, for his part mentioned a partnership concerning CCA opportunities in Germany and other regions of the world.
Measuring 9.1 m in length with a wingspan of 8.2 m, the U740 Valkyrie has an internal weapons bay and external hardpoints under the wings. Its maximum takeoff weight is approximately three tons, its range exceeds 5,000 kilometers and its operational ceiling reaches 45,000 feet. It is designed to operate autonomously or under the command of manned combat aircraft, in order to execute high-risk missions and protect manned aircraft.
