Air system · Developmental Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Airbus U740 Valkyrie
Crewed-Uncrewed Teaming / Collaborative Combat
Also known as: U740 Valkyrie / U740-Valkyrie / Airbus-Kratos Valkyrie
Airbus U740 Valkyrie overview
Last reviewed:
The Airbus U740 Valkyrie is a collaborative combat aircraft combining Kratos' Valkyrie airframe with Airbus' European MARS mission-system architecture. Airbus announced its first flight in Europe on October 12, 2026, establishing a major test milestone for a program targeting a combat-ready capability by 2029. It is not the previously described supersonic, clean-sheet FCAS medium remote carrier. The current public specification is a roughly three-tonne, subsonic-tested aircraft intended to work with crewed fighters such as the Eurofighter, with an internal weapons bay and external payload stations.
The division of work is central to understanding the aircraft. Kratos contributes an existing unmanned-aircraft design and manufacturing experience; Airbus integrates European mission capabilities through the Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure system, abbreviated MARS. Airbus describes this as a way to retain sovereign control over mission software, data and applications. That is different from an assertion that the aircraft uses Anduril's Lattice architecture. Shared terminology such as 'loyal wingman' or 'collaborative combat aircraft' identifies an operational concept, not one common software stack across competing manufacturers.
Airbus' October release lists a length of 9.1 meters, wingspan of 8.2 meters, maximum takeoff weight around three tonnes, range exceeding 5,000 km and a 45,000-foot service ceiling. These replace the page's older unsupported dimensions, five-tonne mass and short-range figures. The reported European flight included speeds up to Mach 0.8; that is a demonstrated test condition, not necessarily a published absolute maximum. No equivalent source supports the old Mach 1.4 sprint claim, a universal four-hour endurance, or a fixed 1,200 kg internal weapons load for this U740 configuration.
Launch flexibility is one attraction of the Valkyrie lineage. The European test included rocket-assisted, runway-independent takeoff, while Airbus also describes conventional runway operations as an option. This can support dispersed operating concepts, but each method has its own equipment, recovery and qualification requirements. An advertised ability to launch away from a runway should not be read as eliminating ground support or establishing unrestricted operation from any location. Aircraft readiness also depends on the integration of communications, mission systems, support equipment and a safe command structure.
The first European flight achieved its stated objectives, including maneuvers at different altitudes and in-flight mission adjustments, according to Airbus. The company described subsequent, more sophisticated testing with MARS as the next step. Consequently, the flight does not prove that every planned autonomous teaming function, weapon or mission has already been certified. Airbus emphasizes a human control hierarchy for critical decisions. Planned cooperation with Eurofighter would extend crewed-aircraft sensing and mission options, while particular weapons and air-to-air roles still require configuration-specific integration evidence rather than assumptions based on the wider CCA market.
Airbus presented U740 alongside the distinct U760 Ravenstorm in its June 2026 portfolio announcement. The U740 is the nearer-term Kratos-based path, while the larger Ravenstorm represents a separate roadmap with early-2030s availability ambitions. Neither schedule should be converted into current operational service or an invented multinational order. As of the November 2026 review, the U740 is best described as a flight-tested developmental European CCA integration with published manufacturer specifications and a 2029 goal. Readers can follow its progress through dated flight, mission-system and procurement milestones rather than the older speculative FCAS narrative.
Armament
Planned combat payloads; specific operational weapon clearance not established
Development and operational timeline
- Airbus describes preparation of two Kratos aircraft for flight with a European mission-system approach; this is integration work, not operational service
- Airbus presents U740 Valkyrie and U760 Ravenstorm as distinct parts of its uncrewed portfolio, with different capability schedules
- Airbus announces U740's first European flight with Kratos, including rocket-assisted takeoff and test speeds up to Mach 0.8
- Editorial status review: published October specifications adopted; 2029 combat readiness remains a target, not a completed service-entry milestone