"Valkyrie" Unmanned Combat Drone Completes Its First Flight in Europe

Reference News Network reported on October 16 According to the Spanish magazine "Defense" website on October 13, Airbus and Kratos Unmanned Systems have completed the first flight of the U740 "Valkyrie" drone in Europe. This unmanned combat aircraft is designed to operate in conjunction with European fighter jets such as the "Typhoon." According to the two companies, this is a key step in their roadmap, aiming to deploy a collaborative combat system by 2029 that meets the needs of European military forces, including the German armed forces.

The test flight took place at a facility in northern Europe, the specific location has not been disclosed. The "Valkyrie" achieved all its planned objectives, including rocket-assisted takeoff without a runway, maneuvering flight at different altitudes, flight testing at a maximum operational speed of 0.8 Mach, and mission adjustments during flight.

The next step will be to conduct more complex flight tests using the mission system "Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable Safety System" (MARS) developed by Airbus. The company refers to it as the "European brain" of the "Valkyrie," designed to ensure control over system software, mission applications, data, and hardware.

This architecture is a core element of the "military operational sovereignty" proposal aimed at European users such as Germany. This collaborative project combines Kratos's aerial platform with Airbus's mission system, thus meeting European requirements that extend beyond the aircraft itself to include tools for operational management and collaboration with other aircraft.

According to Airbus, MARS utilizes AI-enhanced software to autonomously execute missions and coordinate the entire mission formation. The company stated that a strict control hierarchy ensures human oversight and requires that key decisions comply with established rules of engagement, as well as ethical and legal standards.

The "Valkyrie" belongs to the category of collaborative combat aircraft, specifically designed for unmanned combat aircraft to operate alongside manned fighter jets. Airbus and Kratos plan for it to operate autonomously or under the command of manned fighter jets such as the "Typhoon," executing high-risk missions and protecting manned operational platforms.

Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, stated that the project aims to address an increasingly complex and competitive threat environment, providing greater operational scale at an affordable cost. (Translated by Liu Lifen)