Airbus has unveiled the U760 Ravenstorm, a next-generation combat drone designed to operate alongside crewed fighter aircraft in air-to-air combat, strike missions, and electronic warfare operations, marking a significant step in Europe’s evolving approach to military aviation. The announcement comes at a pivotal moment for the continent’s defense industry, following the apparent collapse of the Franco-German-led New Generation Fighter (NGF) program, a cornerstone of the broader Future Combat Air System (FCAS) initiative.
The Ravenstorm was introduced ahead of the ILA Berlin Air Show, where Airbus also presented a comprehensive overhaul of its unmanned systems portfolio. The company says the new lineup reflects its ambition to offer a full spectrum of autonomous military capabilities, ranging from tactical drones and counter-drone systems to long-endurance surveillance platforms and collaborative combat aircraft.
At the center of the announcement is the U760 Ravenstorm, which Airbus describes as the next major milestone in its roadmap toward a scalable family of uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (UCCAs). Designed to fly in close coordination with crewed fighters, the drone is intended to enhance combat effectiveness while reducing risk to human pilots in contested environments.
“Whatever uncrewed capability our customers need to strengthen sovereign air power, we deliver,” said Airbus Defence and Space CEO Mike Schoellhorn during the unveiling. He emphasized that Airbus now offers a complete ecosystem of unmanned solutions capable of supporting modern multi-domain warfare operations.
The company has introduced a new naming convention for its autonomous systems, assigning all drones a “U” prefix. The move aligns with Airbus’s existing aircraft designation structure, where crewed fixed-wing aircraft use the “A” prefix and helicopters are designated with an “H.”
A full-scale model of the Ravenstorm will be displayed at ILA Berlin, providing the public with its first close look at the aircraft. Measuring approximately 43 feet in length with a wingspan of 33 feet, the drone occupies a size category similar to emerging collaborative combat aircraft being developed elsewhere, particularly in the United States.
Visually, the aircraft bears a strong resemblance to General Atomics’ YFQ-42A, one of the leading platforms in the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. The Ravenstorm features swept mid-mounted wings, twin outward-canted vertical tails, and a dorsal air intake. These design characteristics suggest an emphasis on low-observable performance, maneuverability, and survivability in high-threat environments.
While stealth appears to be a major design consideration, Airbus has not disclosed detailed information regarding the aircraft’s radar cross-section, propulsion system, range, or payload capacity. Nevertheless, the overall configuration indicates that the company is targeting a platform capable of operating deep inside contested airspace while supporting crewed fighters.
A graphic showing the new Airbus drone portfolio includes a Eurofighter (at far left) controlling examples of the U740 Valkyrie and U760 Ravenstorm. (Airbus)
Airbus envisions the Ravenstorm conducting a broad range of missions. These include precision-guided strike operations against ground targets, air defense missions using medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles, and electronic warfare activities designed to suppress enemy air defense networks.
The drone will also be capable of supporting offensive counter-air operations through non-kinetic means, including electronic attack and jamming. Such capabilities are increasingly viewed as essential in modern warfare, where disrupting enemy sensors and communications can be as important as kinetic engagements.
According to Airbus, the Ravenstorm is expected to enter service in the early 2030s.
One of the more intriguing aspects of Airbus’s announcement is that the company is simultaneously promoting another collaborative combat aircraft: the U740 Valkyrie.
Unlike the Ravenstorm, the U740 is based on the existing XQ-58A Valkyrie developed by U.S. manufacturer Kratos. Airbus has effectively adapted the platform for European customers by integrating its own Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) mission system.
The company has provided a remarkably specific timeline for the U740, stating that it is expected to enter service with the German Air Force in 2029. Although Airbus has not confirmed a formal procurement decision by Germany, the timeline suggests the company sees a concrete operational requirement emerging from the Luftwaffe.
The U740 is expected to participate in operational experimentation alongside Eurofighter combat aircraft, helping to validate collaborative combat concepts and develop initial air-to-ground mission capabilities.
The coexistence of the Ravenstorm and Valkyrie within Airbus’s portfolio raises important questions about the company’s long-term strategy. Both aircraft occupy broadly similar size categories, yet they appear intended for different market segments.
The Valkyrie was originally conceived as a relatively low-cost, attritable platform capable of operating independently of traditional runways. In contrast, the Ravenstorm appears designed to deliver greater capability, potentially including enhanced survivability, larger payload capacity, and more sophisticated mission systems.
Industry observers suggest Airbus may be pursuing a phased approach in which the Valkyrie serves as an early operational testbed for collaborative combat operations while the fully sovereign Ravenstorm evolves into a more advanced European solution.
Such a strategy would allow European air forces to gain experience with manned-unmanned teaming before transitioning to higher-performance systems.
Central to Airbus’s vision is the MARS mission system, which serves as the software foundation for the company’s unmanned aircraft portfolio.
MARS incorporates artificial intelligence-enabled autonomy functions that allow drones to execute missions with varying levels of independence while remaining under human supervision. Airbus says the architecture is scalable and adaptable, enabling deployment across a diverse range of platforms.
Beyond the U740 Valkyrie and U760 Ravenstorm, MARS will also be integrated into the U950 Eurodrone, Airbus’s long-running medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) surveillance aircraft program.
Previously known simply as Eurodrone, the U950 is a twin-turboprop platform designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions. Airbus also plans to equip it for airborne early warning and anti-submarine warfare roles, expanding its utility beyond traditional reconnaissance operations.
The Eurodrone is expected to make its maiden flight in 2029, further strengthening Airbus’s position in the European unmanned aviation market.
The debut of the Ravenstorm has also renewed questions about the future of Airbus’s previously unveiled Wingman concept.
First revealed at the 2024 ILA Berlin Air Show, Wingman was presented as a large autonomous combat aircraft designed to accompany crewed fighters. The demonstrator measured approximately 51 feet in length with a wingspan of 39 feet and was expected to use the Eurojet EJ200 engine that powers the Eurofighter Typhoon.
At the time, Airbus described Wingman as a response to German Air Force requirements for an unmanned companion aircraft capable of bridging the gap until the arrival of the NGF, which was then expected in the 2040s.
The company has not clarified whether the Wingman program has been absorbed into the Ravenstorm effort, transformed into another initiative, or abandoned altogether.
Nevertheless, the operational requirement that inspired Wingman remains highly relevant. Germany continues to pursue advanced electronic warfare capabilities, including the acquisition of Eurofighter EK aircraft designed specifically for electronic attack and suppression of enemy air defenses.
The Ravenstorm’s emphasis on electronic warfare missions suggests it may now be positioned to fulfill many of the roles originally envisioned for Wingman.
Although Ravenstorm represents a new chapter for Airbus, the aircraft draws on more than two decades of research and development in autonomous aviation.
The company’s experience includes the Barracuda demonstrator program, which began in 2003 as a highly classified initiative. Barracuda completed multiple test campaigns and provided Airbus with valuable data regarding autonomous flight operations, systems integration, and advanced mission management.
Airbus is also leveraging lessons learned from its Low Observable UAV Testbed, known as LOUT. Conducted under strict secrecy for years before being publicly disclosed in 2019, LOUT focused heavily on stealth technologies and low-observable aircraft design.
Together, these programs have helped establish the technological foundation for the company’s latest generation of combat drones.
The significance of Airbus’s expanded unmanned portfolio extends beyond any single aircraft. The unveiling arrives at a time of profound uncertainty regarding Europe’s future combat aviation strategy.
For years, the FCAS initiative centered around the development of the New Generation Fighter, a sixth-generation crewed aircraft intended to replace existing European combat jets in the decades ahead. The fighter was expected to operate within a networked ecosystem that included advanced sensors, data-sharing capabilities, and collaborative combat drones.
However, growing industrial disagreements and political challenges have cast serious doubt on the future of the NGF program.
In that context, platforms such as the Ravenstorm and Valkyrie are increasingly taking center stage. Rather than serving merely as supporting assets for a future sixth-generation fighter, collaborative combat aircraft may become critical force multipliers for existing fleets of Eurofighters, Rafales, and eventually F-35s operating across Europe.
Military planners face growing pressure to expand combat capacity while managing constrained budgets and personnel shortages. Autonomous aircraft offer an attractive solution by increasing operational mass without requiring additional pilots.
As a result, demand for collaborative combat aircraft is expected to accelerate significantly over the next decade.
Whether Ravenstorm ultimately emerges as Europe’s premier autonomous combat aircraft remains to be seen. Yet its unveiling highlights a broader shift underway in military aviation. As traditional fighter programs encounter delays and uncertainty, unmanned systems are increasingly moving from supporting roles to becoming central components of future air power.
