Airbus and Kratos fly U740‑Valkyrie combat drone in Europe

Airbus and Kratos announced that their U740‑Valkyrie combat drone completed its first flight in Europe on 29 September, marking the debut of the collaborative project.

The 9.1‑metre long, 8.2‑metre wingspan drone performed autonomous rocket‑assisted take‑off without a runway, flew manoeuvres up to Mach 0.8 at various altitudes, and can operate alone or with manned fighters such as the Eurofighter; its range exceeds 5 000 km, ceiling reaches about 45 000 ft, and its maximum take‑off weight is around 3 tonnes, while the MARS system will enable autonomous missions and coordination of multiple aircraft.