Airbus and Kratos fly XQ-58 Valkyrie combat drone in Europe for the first time
Airbus Defence and Space and Kratos Defense conducted the first European test flight of the U740 Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft at an undisclosed northern European site. The demonstrator reached Mach 0.8 during the campaign. The companies aim to deliver a combat-ready collaborative combat aircraft for Germany's Eurofighter fleet by 2029, with Airbus providing the MARS mission system integrated onto the Kratos XQ-58 airframe.
Why it matters: Germany now has a loyal-wingman candidate that has actually flown in European airspace — putting Airbus a step ahead of domestic competitors still working from renderings.
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