Airbus is accelerating efforts to provide the German Air Force with an operational Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (UCCA) capability by 2029.

Announced in Brussels on 13 March 2026, the company confirmed that it is currently preparing two XQ-58A Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft at its facility in Manching near Munich. The aircraft were acquired from US partner Kratos Defence & Security Solutions and will conduct their first flights later this year equipped with a sovereign European mission system developed by Airbus.

The two companies are combining their respective expertise to integrate, missionise and ultimately produce and deliver the Airbus UCCA system.

Airbus is currently equipping the aircraft with its European-developed mission architecture known as the Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) system. MARS incorporates an artificial intelligence-supported software architecture called MindShare, designed to replace the onboard pilot while coordinating complex missions across multiple manned and unmanned platforms.

According to Marco Gumbrecht, Head of Key Account Germany at Airbus Defence and Space, the concept combines a proven combat-ready airframe with a sovereign European mission system.

“By combining the Kratos Valkyrie with our MARS mission system we are offering the German customer exactly what Germany and Europe urgently need in the current geopolitical situation: a proven flying uncrewed combat aircraft with a sovereign European mission system that does not have to be developed from scratch in a time-consuming and costly manner,” Gumbrecht said.

“Our objective is to deliver credible combat capability in time of relevance while assuring key sovereign aspects. We are confident that we can achieve this at a very affordable price which is a key driver for UCCAs.”

Steve Fendley, President of the Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, emphasised the importance of the partnership with Airbus and the potential operational flexibility of the system.

“By taking the flight-proven and in-production Valkyrie and integrating the Airbus MARS mission system, the Airbus-missionised Valkyrie UCCA becomes a multi-mission and affordable platform that can operate independently, in teams of uncrewed aircraft or in manned-unmanned teaming operations,” Fendley said.

“Together with the technical and production backing of Airbus and Kratos we are delivering a capability that can be procured and deployed as ‘affordable mass’ which has become a key discriminator in modern peer-to-peer conflict scenarios.”

To further enhance operational capability, Airbus is also working with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to upgrade the Litening 5 Advanced Targeting Pod used by the Eurofighter Typhoon. The enhancements will introduce advanced connectivity allowing the fighter aircraft to operate as a command platform controlling uncrewed aircraft during missions.

Alongside minor avionics upgrades to the Eurofighter fleet, these improvements are expected to significantly increase the aircraft’s combat effectiveness and its ability to conduct manned-unmanned teaming operations.

The Kratos Valkyrie measures 9.1 metres in length with a wingspan of 8.2 metres and a range exceeding 5,000 kilometres. The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of approximately three tons and can operate at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet. The Valkyrie first flew in the United States in 2019 and several aircraft have flown regularly since then. The maiden flight of the Airbus-configured variant is scheduled for 2026.

Operating either fully autonomously or under the control of a Eurofighter, the Valkyrie is designed to undertake high-risk mission tasks that would otherwise endanger a human pilot. The UCCA can perform both kinetic and non-kinetic mission sets across multiple operational roles.

For the German customer Airbus and Kratos are initially focusing on a specific operational role intended to deliver credible combat air power within an accelerated timeframe.