Airbus Unveils Two New Drones at ILA Berlin: U145 Autonomous Helicopter and U760 Ravenstorm UCCA

Airbus Showcases New Drone Lineup at ILA Berlin

Airbus used this week's ILA Berlin Air Show in Germany to unveil two new unmanned aerial vehicles, marking a significant expansion of its drone portfolio.

The company announced earlier this week that its exhibition stand would feature the world debut of the U145 — an autonomous, unmanned derivative of its H145 helicopter. Displayed alongside a full-scale U145 mock-up was a 1:1 scale model of the U760 Ravenstorm, revealed on Tuesday and positioned as the "next evolutionary step" in Airbus's Unmanned Combat Collaborative Aircraft (UCCA) family.

Both designs are built for manned-unmanned teaming operations, echoing the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) concept being evaluated across multiple branches of the U.S. military. The two leading U.S. CCA candidates — General Atomics' YFQ-42A Dark Merlin and Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury — are currently undergoing early flight testing.

Airbus stated in a press release that it plans to begin crewed safety-pilot test flights of the U145 later this year, with an early-2030s entry into service projected. The Ravenstorm is similarly expected to be operational by the 2030s.

"Our portfolio ranges from fast-reaction drone interceptors to various tactical UAS, autonomous cargo helicopters, and UCCA unmanned combat aircraft teaming with manned fighter jets," said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence & Space.

Multiple Tactical UAS Also on Display

Airbus simultaneously showcased several smaller unmanned systems, including the U010 Aliaca and U030 Flexrotor, designed for reconnaissance and long-endurance missions respectively. The U050 Capa-X, also part of the company's light tactical UAS family, offers more than double the payload capacity of either the Aliaca or Flexrotor.

Also on display was the U680 Bird of Prey drone interceptor platform, which completed its maiden flight in March of this year, alongside the U950 Eurodrone — a remotely piloted Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) platform scheduled for its first flight in 2029.

H145 Takes the Autonomous Route

According to Airbus, more than 1,800 H145 helicopters are currently in service worldwide, with a combined flight record exceeding 8.5 million hours. The unmanned variant is described as a "mission-agnostic" platform suited to both civil and military applications.

The U145's primary role is transporting cargo in excess of 8,000 lb (approximately 3,600 kg). It retains the same useful payload capacity as the standard H145 but gains additional cargo volume by eliminating the physical cockpit. A nose-mounted cargo door with a foldable loading ramp is designed to facilitate the loading of large items.

Beyond logistics, Airbus says the U145 can be deployed for wildfire or natural disaster response, armed reconnaissance and surveillance, enemy drone interception, manned-unmanned teaming, and even as an airborne missile launcher acting as a "drone mothership." Airbus disclosed it is working with European missile developer MBDA on this application — concept art in the press release depicts the aircraft in military camouflage.

"To develop the U145 and its capabilities as a multi-mission UAS, we will work with the best autonomous mission partners to further expand the European UAS ecosystem," said Mattieu Louvot, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.

Airbus's rotorcraft division is also developing the VSR700 unmanned reconnaissance helicopter, derived from the Guimbal Cabri G2. Meanwhile, its Defence & Space division is working with L3Harris and Shield AI to automate the Lakota UH-72B helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps — a variant the military has designated the MQ-72C.

Ravenstorm: The Next Chapter in Loyal Wingman Operations

Manned-unmanned teaming is just one of the U145's potential roles, but it is the central mission of Airbus's newly unveiled U760 Ravenstorm.

Airbus describes the U760 as a "heavier-weight" evolution of its fixed-wing UCCA system developed around the Kratos Valkyrie aircraft, which is intended to provide strike capability for the Eurofighter. That system — formally designated the U740 Valkyrie on Tuesday — is slated for delivery to the German Air Force in 2029, and will carry the company's proprietary Multi-platform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Safe (MARS) system.

By contrast, Airbus says Ravenstorm expands the mission envelope to include not only ground strike, but also air-to-air missile deployment and electronic warfare operations — capabilities also attributed to General Atomics' Dark Merlin and Anduril's Fury.

On Wednesday, Airbus announced that its MARS system will be used to conduct a "collaborative surveillance and autonomous operations" demonstration using Primoco UAVs, with a live broadcast from the ILA Berlin show floor scheduled for Thursday.

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