Airbus tests US combat drone U740 Valkyrie – AI software for the Bundeswehr

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Airbus tests US combat drone U740 Valkyrie – AI software for the Bundeswehr.

It's slated to enter service with the Bundeswehr in 2029 – and the US combat drone U740 Valkyrie has now completed its maiden flight in Europe this September, taking off from a test facility in Northern Europe. European defense group Airbus Defence and Space announced the milestone, which kicks off a European variant of the drone set to carry proprietary software.

Launch from a ramp, maneuvers up to Mach 0.8

"All defined objectives were achieved" during the flight, Airbus said. The drone took off runway-independently from a ramp and carried out maneuvers at various altitudes and speeds of up to Mach 0.8. One key component was still missing, however: the European mission system Mars, which Airbus wants to fit to the US platform.

The U740 Valkyrie at a glance

The drone is based on the XQ-58 Valkyrie from US manufacturer Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. It is 9.1 meters long, has a wingspan of 8.2 meters, and weighs a maximum of about three tons at takeoff. In operation, it flies at 45,000 feet – around 13.7 kilometers altitude – and has a range of over 5,000 kilometers. On board are an internal weapons bay and hardpoints under the wings.

In tandem with the Eurofighter, not solo

While the Valkyrie can operate autonomously, the Bundeswehr plans to deploy it as a "Collaborative Combat Aircraft" (CCA), operating in tandem with a manned fighter jet such as the Eurofighter, which leads the mission. The idea is to boost the Luftwaffe's striking power and extend the range, firepower, and survivability of the manned jet.

Mars: the "European brain"

Airbus plans to equip the US platform with its own mission system, "Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure" (Mars). According to Airbus, Mars ensures "full control over software, mission applications, mission data, and system hardware" and enables "German and European sovereignty in operational use." During the European maiden flight, however, Mars was not yet on board. Airbus plans to conduct the next test flight early next year, according to Spiegel – this time with Mars installed.

"By combining the proven Kratos airframe as a 'Program of Record' with the European mission system from Airbus, we can deliver a robust, sovereign, affordable, and mission-ready CCA system by the end of the decade. The Valkyrie will play a decisive role in equipping manned combat aircraft like the Eurofighter with greater range, firepower, and survivability."

What this means for procurement

For anyone tracking the Bundeswehr's defense procurement, the constellation is notable: the airframe comes from the US, the drone's "brain" from Europe. Authority over mission software and sensitive functions therefore rests with Airbus – not with platform manufacturer Kratos. By the end of the decade, this is meant to become a mission-ready CCA system, Airbus says.