XQ-58A Valkyrie to be integrated with new mission system for Germany
NewsJuly 17, 2025
MUNICH, Germany. Airbus Defence and Space and Kratos Defense and Security Solutions entered into a partnership to equip the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (UCCA) with a German-developed mission system for future deployment with the German Air Force, the companies announced in a statement.
The XQ-58A is a low-observable, rail-launched drone capable of operating independently or in coordination with crewed aircraft, the statement reads. It is designed to deliver kinetic and non-kinetic effects and has a maximum takeoff weight of three tons, with a range of up to 3,000 miles and flight ceiling of 45,000 feet.
According to the companies, Airbus will supply a mission system with a platform-agnostic architecture intended to support integration across both current and future manned-unmanned teaming platforms.
The joint effort aims to deliver a European-configured variant of the Valkyrie by 2029, with the system intended to meet growing demand for collaborative combat aircraft in NATO-aligned countries, the statement reads.
