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 its uncrewed "loyal wingman" concept for combat aircraft by 2026, with initial flight tests of its UCCA system (Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie drone and Airbus mission software) alongside a Eurofighter Typhoon scheduled for this year.
The UCCA system, incorporating Airbus's MARS and AI-powered Mindshare software, is designed to handle risky missions for human pilots and integrate into Europe's Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
This effort aligns with similar Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programs being pursued by various branches of the U.S. military, which also involve testing the Valkyrie and other platforms, aiming for deployment around 2030.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.