U740 Valkyrie Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Completes First Flight in Europe

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, in collaboration with the American company Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, conducted the first flight of the U740 Valkyrie unmanned combat aerial vehicle in Europe.

Airbus reported this on its official website.

The flight took place at a test site in Northern Europe.

During the tests, the aircraft took off using a rocket booster without a runway, performed maneuvers at various altitudes, and reached 0.8 Mach.

Operators also adjusted mission parameters during the flight.

According to Airbus, the aircraft completed all planned tasks.

The next phase will involve more complex tests incorporating the MARS (Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure) mission control system, which Airbus is developing.

The system will use AI-enabled software to autonomously perform tasks and coordinate groups of drones. At the same time, humans will retain control over critically important decisions.

The first flight of the base version of Valkyrie took place in the USA back in 2019.

The companies plan to develop a combat-ready system by the end of the decade.

Current tests are evaluating the European version of the aircraft, which Airbus is integrating with its MARS control system.

Militarnyi previously reported that at the ILA 2026 international aviation exhibition in Berlin, the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus presented its new U760 Ravenstorm unmanned combat aerial vehicle for the first time.