Valkyrie ‘fighter drone’ makes first flight in Europe

Airbus and Kratos have flown the Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft in Europe for the first time, a step toward offering Germany a drone wingman for its Eurofighters by 2029.

The flight, announced on Oct. 12, took place at a test site in northern Europe that the companies did not name. Airbus Defence and Space CEO Mike Schoellhorn told Reuters it happened on Sept. 29. The aircraft, which Airbus calls the U740 Valkyrie, took off without a runway using a rocket booster, flew at several altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8, and had its mission changed in flight. The companies said all test objectives were met.

This first flight did not yet carry Airbus’ own mission system, called MARS. Airbus plans to install it for later, more complex tests. MARS is the software and hardware that lets the aircraft fly missions on its own and coordinate groups of drones, with a human kept “on the loop” to approve critical decisions. Airbus pitches it as a European “brain” that gives Germany and other buyers full control of the software, data and mission hardware rather than depending on the U.S. maker.

“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.”

The Valkyrie is based on Kratos’ XQ-58, which has been flying in the United States since 2019. The European version is 9.1 meters (30 feet) long with an 8.2-meter (27-foot) wingspan and weighs about 3 metric tons (6,600 pounds) at takeoff. Airbus says it has a range of more than 5,000 km (3,100 miles), a ceiling of 45,000 feet (13,700 meters), an internal weapons bay and pylons under the wings. It can be launched from a rail without a runway or take off and land conventionally.

“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.

Airbus and Kratos announced their partnership in July 2025, aiming to give the German Air Force an operational collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA, by 2029. Earlier this year, Airbus said it was preparing the first two Valkyries for flight testing in Germany. Schoellhorn told Reuters the company expects to test the drone teamed with Eurofighters in 2027. In the United States, the U.S. Marine Corps has picked the Valkyrie as the basis for its first operational collaborative combat aircraft.