Valkyrie combat drone makes first European flight with 3,100-mile range and Mach 0.8

What happened

The aircraft completed a series of maneuvers during testing at an undisclosed facility in Northern Europe. Valkyrie completes European debut The U740 Valkyrie measures 9.1 meters (29.9 feet) long and spans 8.2 meters (26.9 feet).

Airbus and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions have flown the U740 Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft in Europe for the first time. The milestone advances their effort to deliver a combat-ready Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) for Germany and other European military customers by 2029.

Its performance included rocket-assisted takeoff without a conventional runway, flight at speeds reaching Mach 0.8, and adjustments to mission parameters in the air. The partners now plan more advanced trials involving Airbus’ MARS mission system.