Airbus Plans 2029 UCCA Rollout for German Air Force

Airbus is preparing to deliver an operational Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (UCCA) system to the German Air Force by 2029, integrating US-built drones from Kratos Defense & Security Solutions with a sovereign European mission system tailored for multi-platform combat operations.

The company is currently preparing two Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft at its facilities in Manching, near Munich, for their first flight equipped with Airbus’ proprietary mission system. The aircraft are scheduled to conduct their maiden flight later this year.

Airbus and Kratos are jointly responsible for system integration, adaptation to mission requirements, and the eventual production and delivery of the UCCA platform. The collaboration combines Kratos’ flight-proven unmanned aircraft with Airbus’ European-developed mission architecture, aimed at reducing development timelines and costs while maintaining operational and technological sovereignty.

At the core of the system is Airbus’ Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission system, designed to enable coordinated operations between manned and unmanned platforms. MARS incorporates an AI-enabled software component known as MindShare, which functions as a distributed control system across multiple aircraft.

According to Airbus, MindShare is capable of replacing onboard pilots in uncrewed aircraft while simultaneously coordinating multi-aircraft mission groups. The system distributes decision-making processes across both crewed and uncrewed platforms, enabling synchronized and adaptive operations in complex combat environments.

“By combining the Kratos Valkyrie with our MARS mission system, we are offering the German customer exactly what Germany and Europe urgently need in the current geopolitical situation: a proven flying uncrewed combat aircraft with a sovereign European mission system that does not have to be developed from scratch in a time-consuming and costly manner,” said Marco Gumbrecht, Director of Key Account Germany, Airbus Defence and Space.

The integration of the Valkyrie platform with the MARS system is intended to enable multiple operational configurations, including fully autonomous missions, coordinated operations among multiple uncrewed aircraft, and manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) scenarios, in which fighter jets act as command nodes.

“We could not be more excited about the opportunity, the capability we’re providing, and the teaming relationship with Airbus,” said Steve Fendley, President of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division. He also noted that the combined technical and production capabilities of both companies are enabling the development of a system designed for scalable and cost-efficient deployment.

The Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie is a low-cost, high-performance uncrewed aircraft designed for long-range missions. It has a length of 9.1 m, a wingspan of 8.2 m, and a range exceeding 5,000 km. The platform has a maximum takeoff weight of approximately three tons and can operate at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet.

The Valkyrie conducted its initial flight in the United States in 2019, and additional units have since been flown regularly. The Airbus-configured variant, equipped with the MARS mission system, is expected to complete its first flight in 2026, further advancing the platform’s European integration roadmap.

The UCCA system is designed to perform both kinetic and non-kinetic missions, including operations that would present elevated risk levels for human pilots. By deploying uncrewed aircraft in these roles, operators can extend mission capabilities while minimizing risk to personnel and increasing operational flexibility.

To support manned-unmanned teaming, Airbus is also working with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to enhance the capabilities of the Eurofighter Typhoon. The upgrades focus on enabling the aircraft to function as a “command aircraft” with enhanced cross-platform connectivity and data-sharing capabilities.

Specifically, the companies are enhancing the Litening 5 Advanced Targeting Pod, which is already under contract for the Eurofighter fleet, by adding connectivity features. These modifications, along with targeted updates to the aircraft’s avionics architecture, are intended to improve coordination between the Eurofighter and uncrewed systems.