Airbus Drops Wingman, Shifts to Ravenstorm Drone
The U760 Ravenstorm is targeted for 2032 service, a concept-stage aircraft still in development.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Robotics
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Airbus has discontinued development of its Wingman unmanned wingman concept aircraft, announced at the International Fighter Conference in Munich on November 3, 2026. The company is instead prioritizing the U760 Ravenstorm, a concept still in development rather than a fielded system.
Why it matters
The decision follows customer requests to bring service entry forward, prompting Airbus to refocus on a design it says can meet German Air Force timelines. It signals how quickly collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) programs are being reshaped by procurement pressure.
The figures reported are design targets, not flight-test results: a Wingman cost goal of one third of a manned fighter and a Ravenstorm internal weapons bay of 500kg, compared against a 2029 German requirement and a 2032 Ravenstorm service target. Airbus has not published demonstrated performance data for either aircraft, and the timeline's reliability is unresolved.
The players
Airbus
European aerospace company whose defense portfolio spans crewed fighters and an expanding family of uncrewed CCA designs including the U740 Valkyrie and U760 Ravenstorm.
Kratos
US defense technology firm that is an industry partner on the U740 Valkyrie program.
Boeing
US aerospace manufacturer whose MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone is the subject of Germany's reconsidered procurement plans.
The details
A collaborative combat aircraft is an uncrewed jet designed to fly alongside crewed fighters, extending their sensors and weapons. Airbus had been developing Wingman for the German Air Force but chose the U760 Ravenstorm after customers asked for an earlier service entry. The U760 is the second of three CCA designs in the company's family, which also includes the U740 Valkyrie, developed with US firm Kratos to support Germany's 2029 requirement.
Timeline
2024: Airbus said Wingman was designed to meet German Air Force requirements.
October 2026: the U740 Valkyrie made its first flight out of Northern Europe.
November 3, 2026: Airbus announced the Wingman cancellation at the International Fighter Conference in Munich.
2029: Germany's CCA requirement for the U740 Valkyrie, reportedly now in doubt.
2032: targeted service entry for the U760 Ravenstorm.
The Tech Race
Germany's reconsideration of a direct Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat procurement places Airbus's CCA portfolio in direct competition with a rival uncrewed platform. Airbus's shift toward the U760 Ravenstorm and the U740 Valkyrie reflects a race among European and American manufacturers to deliver teaming drones to European air forces on a 2029 to 2032 timeline.
No consumer product is affected; the change matters to defense planners and European industrial suppliers tied to these programs. Availability is not yet known, and the Ravenstorm's 2032 service target is a plan rather than a delivered capability.
The takeaway
Watch whether Germany's 2029 CCA requirement holds, since a slip would reshape the entire teaming-drone market. The scheduled Valkyrie flight alongside a Eurofighter Typhoon next year will show whether crewed-uncrewed teaming works as planned.
What happens next
The U740 Valkyrie is scheduled to take part in a crewed-uncrewed teaming flight with a Eurofighter Typhoon next year, a concrete test of the teaming concept.
Further reading
For broader context on how uncrewed systems are reshaping military aviation, explore our Robotics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Breaking Defense.
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