Airbus Unveils U760 'Ravenstorm' Loyal Wingman Drone, Competing for Germany's CCA Program with XQ-58 Twin

Airbus has officially revealed its new U760 'Ravenstorm' loyal wingman drone at the Berlin Air Show, positioning it as a key contender for Germany's Combat Cloud Architecture (CCA) program. This unveiling marks a significant step in Europe's ambition to develop its own autonomous drone combat systems, directly challenging existing international offerings.

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The U760 is positioned as a multi-purpose collaborative combat drone, capable of air-to-air interception, air-to-ground strikes, and electronic warfare missions, with an expected entry into service in the early 2030s.

The U760 is engineered as a versatile, multi-role drone capable of performing air-to-air interceptions, air-to-ground strikes, and electronic warfare missions. Its design emphasizes a low radar cross-section, similar to advanced U.S. drone projects, and it is expected to be operational by the early 2030s. The drone's potential for air superiority is hinted at by the display of 'Meteor' beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles alongside its model.

Alongside the U760, Airbus is also presenting the U740, a European adaptation of the Kratos XQ-58A 'Valkyrie'. This version integrates Airbus's proprietary 'Multi-Platform Autonomous Reconfigurable System' (MARS) and is slated for delivery to the German Air Force by 2029. Flight tests for the U740's European mission system are scheduled for later this year, with subsequent integration into existing European fighter aircraft for manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operations.

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The U760 adopts the current mainstream global CCA design of low radar cross-section (RCS), featuring twin vertical stabilizers, a swept mid-wing, and an upper air intake, with an exterior similar to new-generation unmanned combat aircraft like the U.S. Air Force's YFQ-42A and YFQ-48A.

Airbus's dual approach with the U760 and U740 demonstrates a strategic effort to capture a dominant position in the European next-generation drone market. With other competitors like Boeing's MQ-28 'Ghost Bat' and Turkey's 'Red Apple' also vying for contracts, Airbus aims to differentiate itself through fully autonomous development, asserting European technological independence in this critical defense sector.

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Airbus stated that two U740s will undergo European mission system flight verification within this year, followed by integration with the German Air Force's current European fighter jets to perform manned-unmanned collaborative combat (MUM-T) missions.