Airbus U740 Valkyrie completed its first European flight at a test site in Northern Europe, Airbus announced on October 12, 2026. The flight used a rocket-assisted launch without a runway and included maneuvers at different altitudes and speeds.
Airbus and U.S. manufacturer Kratos Defense & Security Solutions said the uncrewed aircraft reached speeds up to Mach 0.8 and carried out in-flight mission adjustments. Airbus described the test as completing its planned objectives, but did not identify the precise location or publish a full flight-test report.
The program is intended to provide a collaborative combat aircraft that can work alongside crewed fighters. The first European flight is a development milestone, not evidence that the aircraft has entered military service.
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Airbus U740 Valkyrie Test Combined Rocket Launch and Maneuvers
The new flight brought a Kratos-built Valkyrie airframe into Airbus’s European development campaign. Airbus said the aircraft launched independently of a runway, a feature that could allow operations where conventional airfield access is constrained. The company also identifies runway takeoff and landing as options in its wider concept.
The manufacturer reported maneuvers at different altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8. It has not released independently measured performance data, flight duration or a detailed evaluation of how the aircraft handled changing mission conditions. Those gaps matter when interpreting a manufacturer’s announcement of successful test objectives.
The reported launch and maneuvers show that the test aircraft could execute that flight profile. They do not establish readiness for armed missions, battlefield operations or an approved acquisition program. Airbus and Kratos still have to demonstrate the mission functions that distinguish a collaborative combat aircraft from an ordinary remotely operated drone.
MARS Mission System Is the Next Major Test
Airbus plans more demanding trials with its Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure mission system, known as MARS. The company describes MARS as the software and mission-management layer intended to let European operators control mission applications, hardware interfaces and task coordination.
According to Airbus, the software is designed to support autonomous tasks and coordinated groups of aircraft while preserving human oversight of critical decisions. The exact degree of autonomy proved during the October flight was not specified in the release. The next testing phase should therefore not be described as already completed.
Airbus positions the European-controlled mission system as a way for prospective customers to retain authority over software and operations. That is a program objective rather than a government certification of security, sovereignty or compliance with future military requirements.
European Combat Aircraft Plans Still Face a 2029 Target
Airbus lists the U740 Valkyrie at approximately 9.1 meters long with an 8.2-meter wingspan, an internal weapons bay and underwing payload stations. It quotes a range exceeding 5,000 kilometers and a service ceiling of 45,000 feet, but those specifications should not be confused with independently demonstrated performance on the first European flight.
The company says a combat-ready collaborative aircraft could be available by 2029 for German and other European requirements. The announced timetable remains a target. Airbus has not reported a German fleet order, operational deployment or completion of certification and weapons integration.
Such aircraft are being studied for missions that expose crewed fighters to elevated risk. The proposed value depends on reliable communications, mission control, affordability and the ability to operate with aircraft such as the Eurofighter. The European program will need further evidence on each of those questions.
FAQ: Airbus U740 Valkyrie
Has the Airbus U740 Valkyrie entered service?
No. Airbus reported a developmental European flight and is targeting future combat-ready capability; it did not announce an operational deployment.
What was tested during the first European flight?
Airbus said the test covered rocket-assisted runway-independent launch, maneuvers at different altitudes and speeds up to Mach 0.8, and mission adjustments.
What happens next in the Valkyrie program?
Airbus plans more complex tests involving its MARS autonomous mission system; a confirmed timetable for those individual tests was not provided.
Looking Ahead
The next stated milestone is a series of more demanding flight tests using the MARS mission system. Whether Airbus and Kratos can validate coordinated missions and meet the stated 2029 ambition remains to be established through further flight evidence and customer decisions.
Sources
Featured image: An earlier Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie demonstration aircraft in 2019. U.S. Air Force file photo; this is not the Airbus U740 European flight. Photo: 88 Air Base Wing Public Affairs / U.S. Air Force. License: U.S. government public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons image page (license). Image scaled for web without other edits.
