Airbus Unveils U760 Ravenstorm Unmanned Combat Aircraft, Deliveries Planned for Early 2030s

Airbus Unveils U760 Ravenstorm Unmanned Combat Aircraft

Airbus has officially unveiled the U760 Ravenstorm Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), a platform designed to operate alongside crewed fighter jets in future air combat scenarios.

The company presented a full-scale model of the Ravenstorm at ILA Berlin Air Show 2026, positioning it as part of a growing unmanned aircraft portfolio aimed at European defence customers.

Mission Capabilities

Airbus states that the Ravenstorm is designed for the following mission areas:

• Air-to-air combat: Armed with medium- and long-range missiles for air defence missions
• Air-to-ground strike: Employing precision-guided munitions for ground attack
• Electronic warfare: Conducting jamming operations and Suppression of Enemy Air Defences (SEAD)

The displayed model features a 10-metre wingspan and a 13-metre fuselage length. Airbus describes the Ravenstorm as part of a "scalable" family of unmanned combat aircraft intended to support crewed fighters in next-generation air operations.

The company has indicated that deliveries of the Ravenstorm are expected to begin in the early 2030s.

Unmanned Aircraft Family and the MARS System

The Ravenstorm forms part of Airbus's broader CCA development roadmap, which also includes the U740 Valkyrie — an adaptation of the Kratos XQ-58A tailored to European requirements. Airbus is co-developing the Valkyrie with Kratos and equipping it with the MARS (Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure) mission system.

Airbus has stated that the Valkyrie aims to provide the German Air Force with a sovereign autonomous unmanned combat aircraft capability by 2029, supporting manned-unmanned teaming experiments with the Eurofighter.

The Ravenstorm, Valkyrie, and the U680 Bird of Prey unmanned interceptor all share the MARS mission system. Airbus describes MARS as incorporating an AI-assisted software core capable of enabling platform autonomy across multiple unmanned aircraft simultaneously.

Full Unmanned Portfolio on Display

Additional products exhibited by Airbus at ILA include:

• U145 unmanned helicopter (an autonomous derivative of the H145, targeting civil and military cargo missions)
• U010 Aliaca, U030 Flexrotor, and U050 Capa-X tactical unmanned aircraft
• U680 Bird of Prey unmanned interceptor
• U950 Eurodrone long-endurance Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) platform

Industry Trend

The Ravenstorm's debut comes at a time when European defence companies are placing increasing emphasis on unmanned combat aircraft, autonomous systems, and manned-unmanned teaming concepts.

Airbus Defence and Space CEO Mike Schoellhorn commented: "Whatever unmanned capability our customers need to reinforce their sovereign air power, we can deliver it." He noted that Airbus's defence portfolio spans the full spectrum — from unmanned interceptors and tactical drones, to cargo helicopters, collaborative combat aircraft, and the Eurodrone long-endurance reconnaissance platform.

Source: AeroTime

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