Kratos U740 Valkyrie completes first flight over Europe, achieves Mach 0.8

Kratos and Airbus announced the first European test flight of the U740 Valkyrie uncrewed combat aircraft and said they completed initial flight tests of a new turbojet engine.

According to Military Times, the California-based defence company reported the Valkyrie’s maiden European sortie included an independent rocket-assisted takeoff, in-flight mission adjustments and maneuvers at different altitudes, and that the aircraft reached speeds up to Mach 0.8.

The companies described the U740 as a 30-foot aircraft with a 27-foot wingspan and an internal weapons bay able to carry both air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions.

Military Times says the platform was developed through a partnership with Airbus in support of German and other European armed forces and that Airbus’ contribution brings a sovereign European mission system to the Kratos airframe. Kratos also disclosed that initial flight tests of a new turbojet, the TDI-J85, were completed across multiple configurations during the programme.

Military Times quoted Joseph Kovasity, a senior vice president of Kratos, saying the engine’s flight tests “prove the versatility and reliability of the TDI-J85,” and the outlet reported the company presented the engine as demonstrating capability for cruise missiles, decoys and unmanned aerial systems.

Airbus’ chief executive for its defence arm, Mike Schoellhorn, was cited by Military Times describing the Valkyrie as combining Kratos’ low-cost airframe with Airbus’ mission system to support crewed combat aircraft with extended range, firepower and survivability.

The outlet reported that both companies said the tests achieved their goals and that the engine testing advances turbojet production for small aerial systems. Other headlines corroborate that the flight took place over Europe, with quwa.org, Design and Development Today, Airforce Technology and AviTrader summarising the first European flight in their headlines.

Beyond the flight characteristics and the companies’ statements about the engine and mission system, Military Times’ account supplies the specific physical dimensions and the claimed roles for the airframe and engine.

The available reporting establishes the event as an industry-conducted test campaign outcome: a European airspace test of an uncrewed combat aircraft reaching Mach 0.8 and the completion of initial flight tests for a dedicated small-system turbojet.

The companies characterised the flight and engine trials as meeting their objectives and advancing production for small aerial systems.