The Valkyrie combat drone flew for the first time in Europe
The Valkyrie combat drone, the result of a collaboration between Airbus and Kratos, has successfully completed its first flight in Europe, marking an important step in the development of combat drones. In a significant development in the field of defense technologies, Airbus and Kratos companies successfully conducted the first test flight of the Valkyrie combat drone in Europe, new capabilities ... The post Valkyrie combat drone flew for the first time in Europe a
0 Posted by: Amir Jalali on October 21, 1405 at 19:26
The Valkyrie combat drone, the result of a collaboration between Airbus and Kratos, has successfully completed its first flight in Europe, marking an important step in the development of combat drones.
In a significant development in the field of defense technologies, Airbus and Kratos companies demonstrated new capabilities by successfully conducting the first test flight of the Valkyrie combat drone in Europe. Aimed at providing the Air Force with an advanced fighter drone, the flight paves the way for drones to be used alongside manned fighter jets. This technology can change the balance of power in future air battles and reduce technological dependencies.
Details of the first flight of the Valkyrie combat drone in Europe
The first flight of the U740 Valkyrie combat drone was carried out on September 29, 2023 (October 7, 1402) at a test site in Northern Europe, and its news was announced publicly on October 12, 2023 (October 20, 1402). The drone, which Airbus calls the U740 Valkyrie, takes off without a runway using a rocket booster.
After liftoff, the Valkyrie drone flew at various altitudes and at speeds up to Mach 0.8, and the companies said all test objectives, including in-flight mission change, were successfully achieved. However, on this flight, Airbus' proprietary mission system known as MARS was not yet installed on the drone. The MARS system is software and hardware that allows the drone to perform missions automatically and coordinate groups of drones; Of course, with the presence of a human operator to confirm critical decisions.
Mike Schulhorn, CEO of Airbus Defense and Space, stated that the goal of this cooperation is to provide a robust, autonomous, cost-effective and combat-ready joint combat aircraft system by the end of this decade.
Specifications and future goals of the Valkyrie combat drone
The Valkyrie drone was developed based on the Kratos XQ-58 model, which has been flying in the United States since 2019. The European version of this drone has a length of 9.1 meters and a wingspan of 8.2 meters, and its take-off weight is about 3 metric tons (6,600 pounds). Airbus claims that the drone can have a range of more than 5,000 kilometers and climb to an altitude of 45,000 feet (1,3700 meters). The Valkyrie also has an internal weapons bay and underwing pylons, and can take off and land without a runway, via rails, or conventionally.
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Airbus and Kratos announced their partnership in July 2025. The goal of this cooperation is to provide an operational joint combat aircraft to the German Air Force by 2029. Airbus predicts that the test of this drone will be carried out as a team with Eurofighter fighters in 2027. It should be noted that in the United States, the US Marines have also chosen the Valkyrie drone as the basis of their first operational joint combat aircraft.