Airbus is reconfiguring the XQ-58 Valkyrie drones with a European-made “AI brain” that unlocks an ability to coordinate entire mission groups all on their own.
Working with US firm Kratos Defense, Airbus will integrate the Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) system into a pair of the collaborative combat aircraft platforms
At the center of the upgrade is MindShare, an AI-enabled software layer intended to manage mission coordination while keeping the aircraft connected in real time with manned and unmanned assets.
The system is also designed to support secure, resilient communications across platforms, helping ensure interoperability within mixed fleets.
By pairing the XQ-58 with the MARS mission system, the company said it is combining a proven unmanned aircraft with a sovereign European mission system that “does not have to be developed from scratch in a time-consuming and costly manner.”
“Our objective is to deliver credible combat capability in time of relevance, while assuring key sovereign aspects,” Marco Gumbrecht, head of Key Account Germany at Airbus Defence and Space, said.
The MARS-equipped Valkyries are scheduled for flight tests later this year, with Airbus aiming to field an operational force by 2029.
Heading to Dangerous Spaces
Kratos’ Valkyrie measures 9.1 meters (29.8 feet) long, with a wingspan exceeding 8 meters (26 feet).
It has a maximum takeoff weight of around 3 tons and can operate at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet (13,716 meters).
Designed for missions considered too risky for crewed fighters, the platform can operate autonomously or under the command of a Eurofighter, supporting both independent and networked operations.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity, the capability we’re providing, and the teaming relationship with Airbus,” Kratos Unmanned Systems President Steve Fendley said.
“We are realizing an optimal capability system that can be bought and deployed as ‘affordable mass’; the consistent discriminator identified in today’s peer to peer wargames.”
