Airbus U740 Valkyrie becomes first CCA to fly in Europe

Seen being launched from a test facility in northern Europe, the Airbus U740 Valkyrie is being pitched for a German requirement for 2029 and also for other European air forces. (Airbus)

The Airbus U740 Valkyrie unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has become the first collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to fly in Europe.

Announced on 12 October 2026, the flight took place at an undisclosed test facility in northern Europe. According to the announcement, all test objectives were achieved, including a runway independent rocket-assisted take-off, manoeuvres at various altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8, as well as in-flight mission adjustments.

“This key milestone confirms that Airbus and Kratos are on track to deliver a combat-ready uncrewed CCA by 2029, addressing the operational requirements of the German and other European armed forces,” Airbus said.

Developed in partnership with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc., the U740 is essentially the Kratos XQ-58A equipped with Airbus European Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) software that will equip both the manned combat aircraft, such as a Eurofighter, and the CCA adjunct. Through the Valkyrie, Airbus aims to deliver an operational, sovereign CCA (also referred to as Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft [UCCA] by Airbus) to the Luftwaffe by the end of the decade.