Airbus races to equip Valkyrie drones with AI for German Air Force by 2029

Airbus is working at full throttle to deliver an operational Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft (UCCA) system to the German Air Force by 2029. The company is preparing the first two Valkyries it acquired from Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., for their maiden flight. They are scheduled to fly later this year.

Airbus is equipping the UCCAs with the Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) system. MARS also contains an AI-supported software brain called MindShare, which not only replaces the missing pilot but also coordinates entire mission groups, distributed across many manned and uncrewed platforms.

“By combining the Kratos Valkyrie with our MARS mission system, we are offering the German customer exactly what Germany and Europe urgently need in the current geopolitical situation: a proven flying uncrewed combat aircraft with a sovereign European mission system that does not have to be developed from scratch in a time-consuming and costly manner,” said Marco Gumbrecht, head of Key Account Germany at Airbus Defence and Space. “Our objective is to deliver credible combat capability in time of relevance, while assuring key sovereign aspects. And we are confident that we can do this at a very affordable price - which is a key driver for UCCAs.”

Technical data

The Kratos Valkyrie has a length of 9.1 meters, a wingspan of 8.2 m, and a range of over 5,000 kilometers. The maximum take-off weight is around three tons. It can fly at an altitude of up to 45,000 feet. The maiden flight of the Valkyrie took place in the United States in 2019, and additional aircraft have been flying regularly since then. The maiden flight of the Airbus variant is scheduled later this year.

Steve Fendley, president of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, “By taking the flight-proven and in-production Valkyrie and integrating the Airbus MARS mission system, the Airbus-missionized Valkyrie UCCA is a multi-mission, affordable system that can operate independently, in teams of UAS, or in Manned-Unmanned-Teaming operations.

Fully autonomous or commanded by a Eurofighter jet, the Valkyrie will be able to take on sensitive mission tasks that would pose too great a danger to the pilot. The UCCA can service kinetic and non-kinetic mission sets in several roles. For the German Air Force, Airbus and Kratos are initially focusing on a specific role to deliver credible combat air power on time and on target.

Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport launches 'Help Hub' to feed TSA and federal staff

Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (CHO) in Virginia announced Thursday that it is providing meals and essential supplies to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and other federal employees working at the airport. The initiative, dubbed the “CHO Help Hub,” is intended to offset recent reports that many federal workers at the facility have been serving without pay.

In a post on Facebook, the airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Jason Burch, said CHO “remains neutral in all political matters, but we are not neutral when it comes to supporting our people. Many of our federal partners, including TSA employees, continue to serve with dedication and professionalism despite not being paid.”

To show the airport’s appreciation and provide tangible help, the airport will assist in providing meals to its TSA staff and other federal employees working there. “We are also creating a CHO Help Hub, which will be stocked with ready-to-eat meals and essential items to support federal staff who continue serving our passengers each day,” Burch said.

The airport invites anyone interested in contributing to this effort to contact the airport at info@gocho.com.

On Saturday, President Trump thanked TSA agents for going to work but "not being paid" amid an ongoing partial government shutdown, which has seen agents quitting and absences doubling.

Heated Situation

In addition to the TSA pay issue, CHO’s chiller system experienced a mechanical issue on Thursday, causing warmer-than-usual conditions in the airport’s terminal.

“We want to let our passengers know that our terminal is currently warmer than usual due to a mechanical issue with our chiller system,” the airport said in a Facebook post. The airport’s maintenance team was actively working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible on Thursday.

“We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding while we work to restore normal conditions,” the airport said. “In the meantime, our team is here to help make your travel experience as comfortable as possible.”