"air forces require affordable combat mass," Airbus Defence and Space CEO Mike Schoellhorn said, framing the rationale behind Airbus and Kratos' latest step: the U740 Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft completed its first European flight on 12 October 2026, a sortie the companies say met every objective.
The 12 October sortie: what happened in the air
Airbus and Kratos reported that the U740's first European flight, conducted from a Northern European test facility the companies did not identify, achieved every planned objective. The rollout included a runway-independent, rocket-assisted take-off, maneuvers at multiple altitudes, speeds reaching Mach 0.8, and mission adjustments made while airborne. Both firms characterized the mission as opening the way to more sophisticated follow-on flight tests.
How the U740 is built: Kratos airframe, Airbus mission system
The U740 combines a Kratos airframe with an Airbus mission system. Airbus described the pairing as Kratos' proven "program of record" airframe together with "Airbus' sovereign European mission system." Published physical characteristics — a length of 9.1 m, a wingspan of 8.2 m and a maximum take-off weight of roughly three tonnes — correspond to those of the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie, whose first flight took place at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, on 5 March 2019. Airbus revealed the partnership with Kratos in July 2025 and by April 2026 had two XQ-58A airframes at Manching in Bavaria; in March the company had disclosed plans to flight-test both Valkyries in Europe during 2026.
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End the scrambleMARS mission system and autonomy: the European "brain"
Airbus' Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission system forms the core of the aircraft's European content and is described by the company as the aircraft's "European brain." Airbus says MARS provides full control of software, mission applications, data and system hardware and employs AI-enhanced software for autonomous missions and mission-group coordination. The company adds that MARS implements a control hierarchy that retains a human on the loop for critical decisions "in accordance with rules of engagement and legal standards."
Importantly, the 12 October sortie did not serve as the main demonstration of MARS: the mission system has yet to fly aboard the aircraft. Airbus and Kratos stated the flight paves the way for additional trials that will place MARS aboard the U740 and test its autonomous mission capabilities.
Payload, performance and launch modes
Published payload and performance features for the U740 include an internal weapons bay, external underwing payload stations, a range of more than 5,000 km and a service ceiling of 45,000 ft. Airbus said rail launch (the rocket-assisted, runway-independent option used on 12 October) underpins the design's operational resilience, while conventional runway take-off and landing remain an option. Airbus also positions the Valkyrie to complement crewed fighters, identifying the Eurofighter as a potential partner to extend range, firepower and survivability.
What this means for German and other European armed forces, Airbus, and Kratos
- German and other European armed forces: Airbus said the companies remain on course to deliver a combat-ready uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) by 2029 for German and other European armed forces, signalling a concrete timetable for fielding uncrewed combat capability in support of crewed platforms.
- Airbus: the company is shifting the campaign's next phase from validating the Kratos airframe to focusing on its own European onboard systems; further flights are planned specifically to assess MARS and autonomous mission capabilities.
- Kratos: Eric DeMarco, Kratos President and CEO, called the flight an "amazing success" and said Kratos is working with Airbus to pursue CCA opportunities in Germany and elsewhere, indicating commercial and operational ambitions beyond the initial European campaign.
The 12 October flight is a milestone that is both confirmatory and provisional: it confirms that the Kratos airframe integrates with Airbus systems in basic flight regimes, while also setting a clear next agenda — install and flight-test MARS and its autonomy suite, then progress toward the stated objective of a combat-ready CCA by 2029. Additional flights planned to assess MARS will determine whether the aircraft can deliver the AI-enhanced, human-on-the-loop operational model Airbus describes, and whether the system will meet the performance and legal standards the company has cited.
Original story: https://quwa.org/europe/defence-news-eu/airbus-flies-u740-valkyrie-combat-drone-in-europe-for-the-first-time/
