European conglomerate Airbus and American defense manufacturer Kratos have announced a partnership to pitch drone wingmen to the German Air Force, with the goal of having a „combat ready” system by 2029.
The collaboration will see Kratos offering its existing XQ-58A Valkyrie drone, equipped with mission systems tailored to German needs by Airbus. The rail-launched Valkyrie, which has been under development for several years and tested by the US military, boasts a range of 3,000 miles and a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet, according to a press release announcing the partnership.
Meeting Urgent Demand for Collaborative Combat Aircraft
„In the given disruptive geopolitical context, our customers have expressed an urgent demand for both attritable and non-attritable Collaborative Combat Aircraft,” said Airbus Defence and Space CEO Mike Schoellhorn. „The collaboration of Kratos and Airbus, based on an existing and proven UAS platform and featuring a sovereign multi-platform mission system, will deliver crucial capabilities for our warfighters in Europe before the end of the decade.”
Kratos CEO Eric DeMarco added, „We have designed the Valkyrie system to be an affordable and formidable CCA paired in collaborative fashion with manned aircraft, a team of uncrewed aircraft, or a mix of both. Based on Valkyrie’s proven flight capability, first demonstrated in 2019, and the many mission systems, autonomy systems, and mission scenarios tested with the system over time, we’re excited about our partnership with Airbus which will result again in a first to market Valkyrie variant, now ‘tuned’ for the European mission.”
A Proactive Approach to German Requirements
The partnership is somewhat proactive, aiming to anticipate future German needs. While the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) is planning to field drone wingmen through the Electronic Combat Wingman program, the Euro-focused XQ-58A is not being pitched for that specific effort, according to an Airbus spokesperson.
Instead, by leveraging the „proven platform” of the Valkyrie and Airbus-developed mission systems, the team is „offer[ing] our German customer something we believe they have a requirement for in the coming years.” The 2029 target reflects „a key year where Europe needs to be ready to defend itself,” the spokesperson added.
A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Airbus’ Previous Wingman Effort
The partnership follows another Airbus effort to offer drone wingmen to the Luftwaffe. Last year, the planemaker unveiled its „Wingman” platform in partnership with the German firm Helsing, designed to fly alongside manned aircraft like the Eurofighter and be ready for the Luftwaffe in the 2030s.
The Airbus spokesperson clarified that the Wingman platform is intended for a heavier weight class compared to the Valkyrie, which has a maximum takeoff weight of three tons.
Kratos’ US Efforts
On the US side, although Kratos was not successful in the first round of the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, the company remains interested in bidding for future tranches. The firm’s Valkyrie continues to evolve, with Kratos revealing renderings of an XQ-58A with landing gear in April, potentially enhancing its versatility beyond its runway-independent design.
