Airbus to Fly Uncrewed Combat Drones Alongside Eurofighter in 2026

Uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (UCCA) are intended to serve as ‘loyal wingmen’ to crewed fighters.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 02:15 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Airbus’ uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (UCCA) platform is built around Kratos’ XQ-58A Valkyrie. [Credit: Airbus]

Key Takeaways:

Airbus plans to demonstrate "loyal wingman" capabilities for uncrewed combat aircraft (UCCA) by late 2026, aiming for delivery to the German Air Force by 2029.
The UCCA system integrates Kratos's XQ-58A Valkyrie drone with Airbus's Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission software, which uses AI-powered Mindshare for autonomous mission orchestration.
Designed to undertake high-risk missions under the command of crewed fighters like the Eurofighter Typhoon, this initiative is a key part of Europe's Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and mirrors similar "collaborative combat aircraft" programs in the U.S. military.

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Before the end of 2026, Airbus will look to demonstrate the ability of uncrewed combat aircraft to serve as “loyal wingmen” for crewed fighter jets.

The manufacturer on Friday said it plans to conduct the first flight of its uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (UCCA) system—which combines Kratos’ experimental XQ-58A Valkyrie and its own mission software—alongside a Eurofighter Typhoon this year. It aims to deliver the UCCA system to the German Air Force by 2029.