American aerospace and defense companies have built a series of “loyal wingman” drones, intended to supplement the effectiveness of manned aircraft. Now Europe has one of its own.

The United States Air Force is currently conducting flight tests of the FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury, the first two production unmanned aircraft developed as part of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Last week, aerospace giant Northrop Grumman also announced that its YFQ-48A Talon Blue, now under development for the next CCA increment, had successfully completed its “first fully autonomous flight” over the Mojave Desert in California.

Halfway across the world in Europe, another CCA took its test flight.

Airbus announced on Monday that its U740 Valkyrie, which was developed in partnership with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, made its maiden flight at an undisclosed test facility in northern Europe, and the CCA is on track to be “combat-ready” by 2029.

According to the Airbus media release, the test flight “achieved all objectives,” which included a “runway independent rocket-assisted take-off” of the unmanned aircraft. Once in the air, the U740 Valkyrie conducted maneuvers “at various altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8,” with in-flight mission adjustments also carried out.

“First flights typically include plenty of learning opportunities, but with the maturity of the Valkyrie system and the well-integrated Airbus and Kratos team, this flight was an amazing success,” said Eric DeMarco, president and CEO of Kratos.

“We’re proud to be partnering with Airbus on the CCA opportunities in Germany and other parts of the world,” DeMarco added. “Combining the strengths of Kratos and Airbus enables the affordable Valkyrie system and Kratos’ CCA and drone manufacturing legacy to evolve with MARS and Airbus’ other high-capability subsystems, experience, and extensive knowledge across the full aerospace spectrum.”

What We Know About the Valkyrie Drone (So Far)

The full details of the U740 Valkyrie have yet to be disclosed, but Airbus has released preliminary information on its specifications:

• Year Introduced: Not yet introduced (anticipated 2029)
• Number Built: Unknown (prototype phase)
• Length: 29.8 ft (9.1 m)
• Wingspan: 26.9 ft (8.2 m)
• Weight: ~3 tonnes (3,000 kg, 6,614 lb)
• Engine(s): Unknown; rocket-assisted rail system for launch
• Top Speed: Mach 0.8 (652 mph, 1,049 km/h)
• Range: ~3,100 mi (5,000 km)
• Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft (13,716 m)
• Loadout: Internal weapons bay; hardpoints under wings; payload capacity unknown

Future Tests with “MARS” Mission System

The first flight will pave the way for additional flight tests, including with the aerospace firm’s Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission system—the platform that is being developed to serve as the “European Brains,” providing sovereign control over the software, mission logic, data, and hardware of uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (UCCA), including the Valkyrie, over foreign-made systems.

The European members of NATO developed MARS to ensure that they could maintain independent command over critical military software, applications, and mission data. The system employs AI-enhanced software, which can “conduct missions autonomously,” Airbus explained. That includes the coordination of “entire mission groups,” as well as single aircraft. The AI-enabled software could allow the drone to autonomously navigate, coordinate drone swarms, and process in-flight mission parameter updates while humans retain critical command to ensure that any and all critical decisions are made by a human to comply with existing rules of engagement and to comply with current ethical and legal standards involving unmanned combat systems.

“In an increasingly complex and contested threat environment, air forces require affordable combat mass,” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “By pairing Kratos’ proven airframe as a ‘program of record’ with Airbus’ sovereign European mission system, we are able to offer a robust, sovereign, affordable, and combat-ready CCA system by the end of the decade.”

How Will the Valkyrie Drone Be Used?

Schoellhorn explained that the CCA could serve as a “loyal wingman” for a manned aircraft, much like how the FQ-42 Vengeance and FQ-44 Fury are meant to act as force multipliers for American fifth- and sixth-generation fighters like the upcoming F-47 and F/A-XX. In the case of the U740 Valkyrie, it will be to enhance the capabilities of the fourth-generation-plus fighters now in service across Europe.

“The Valkyrie will also play a critical role in enhancing crewed combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter with extended range, firepower, and survivability,” Schoellhorn said. “The aircraft design enables operational resilience through its rail launch capability, while offering conventional, runway based, take-off and landing as an option.”

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines, and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author at Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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