Airbus and Kratos flew the U740 Valkyrie uncrewed aircraft in Europe for the first time on September 29, announcing it October 12, with a rocket-assisted takeoff and speeds up to Mach 0.8. The companies say they are on track for a combat-ready system for German and other European forces by 2029, a company target with no contract announced.
What's happening
- Airbus and Kratos conducted the first European flight of the U740 Valkyrie on September 29, 2026, at an unspecified test facility in Northern Europe, and announced it on October 12.
- The aircraft achieved rocket-assisted takeoff, maneuvers at various altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8, and in-flight mission adjustments.
- The U740 combines Kratos' XQ-58 airframe with Airbus' MARS mission system, which Airbus describes as the Valkyrie's European brain for full operational sovereignty.
- The companies say they are on track to deliver a combat-ready Collaborative Combat Aircraft by 2029 for German and other European armed forces; no customer contract has been announced.
Why it matters
- The program pairs an American airframe with a European mission system, which Airbus says would give European forces control over software and data. The full MARS system has not yet flown on the aircraft.
- Airbus pitches the Valkyrie as affordable combat mass for air forces facing a contested threat environment.
- MARS enables German and European forces to retain full control over software, mission applications, data and system hardware, establishing a sovereign European alternative to U.S. systems.
- The U740 will enhance crewed assets like the Eurofighter by extending range, firepower and survivability while executing high-risk missions autonomously or under manned command.
Going deeper
- MARS employs AI-enhanced software to conduct missions autonomously and coordinate entire mission groups, with MindShare technology capable of coordinating distributed swarms across manned and unmanned platforms.
- The aircraft design enables operational resilience through rail launch capability while offering conventional runway-based takeoff and landing options.
- Airbus and Rafael are adding connectivity capability to the Litening 5 Advanced Targeting Pod and updating Eurofighter avionics to enable crewed fighters to act as command aircraft for the Valkyrie.
The intrigue
- Airbus has not disclosed whether the first European flight included initial checks on the MARS mission system, leaving the readiness status of the sovereign software stack uncertain ahead of subsequent flight tests.
The fine print
- Additional flight tests with the full MARS mission system are planned following this airframe-only validation flight.
- The 2029 combat readiness date is a company target, not a confirmed customer commitment; no contract, production rate or order quantity has been disclosed.
- Source: Airbus, https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-10-airbus-u740-valkyrie-uncrewed-combat-aircraft-takes-off-for-its-maiden-flight-in-europe ; The Aviationist (flight date), https://theaviationist.com/2026/10/12/airbus-kratos-fly-valkyrie-drone-europe-first-time/
Source: theaviationist.com · Oct 12, 2026 · Drafted with Claude, reviewed by Industrial Base Alpha.
