Airbus and Kratos fly the U740 Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft for the first time in Europe

Airbus

The U740 Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft, built by Airbus and Kratos, made its maiden flight in Europe at a test facility in Northern Europe, announced October 12, 2026. Airbus says the flight met all its objectives and keeps the program on track for a combat-ready collaborative combat aircraft by 2029.

• The flight included a runway-independent, rocket-assisted takeoff, maneuvers at several altitudes, speeds up to Mach 0.8 and in-flight mission adjustments.
• Airbus lists a maximum takeoff weight of about three tonnes, a range over 5,000 km and a 45,000-foot service ceiling.
• The aircraft is 9.1 m long with an 8.2 m wingspan, and has an internal weapons bay and external payload stations under the wings.
• Later flights will use Airbus's MARS mission system; the article describes this debut as paving the way for them, not as a MARS flight.