The objective is to field a combat-ready Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) for Germany by 2029. The Valkyrie serves as an ideal foundation for this initiative; it is a low-observable drone with a three-ton maximum take-off weight, capable of being launched from a rail system. With a proven range of 3,000 nautical miles and an operational ceiling of 45,000 feet, it is designed to perform both kinetic and non-kinetic missions, either autonomously or in close collaboration with manned fighter jets.
A key element of the partnership is the platform-agnostic nature of the Airbus mission system. This design ensures it can be seamlessly integrated not only into the Valkyrie but also into a wide array of existing and future crewed and uncrewed platforms, promoting interoperability across a growing ecosystem.
Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, highlighted the strategic urgency behind the project. “In the given disruptive geopolitical context, our customers have expressed an urgent demand for both attritable and non-attritable CCAs,” he stated. Schoellhorn emphasized that the partnership, leveraging a proven U.S. airframe and a sovereign European mission system, will deliver crucial capabilities while strengthening NATO’s transatlantic bonds.
Kratos CEO Eric DeMarco underscored the Valkyrie’s established track record, first demonstrated in 2019, as a critical factor. “We have designed the Valkyrie system to be an affordable and formidable CCA,” DeMarco said. He expressed excitement about the collaboration with Airbus, which will result in a new, first-to-market variant of the Valkyrie specifically tuned for European operational requirements. This partnership marks a pivotal step in accelerating Europe’s advanced air power capabilities.
