Airbus
About
About Airbus
Airbus combines uncrewed aircraft development with mission integration and operating services. Its portfolio spans smaller tactical systems, larger remotely piloted programmes and high-altitude platforms, addressing different combinations of payload, endurance and launch requirements. The group also supplies the sensors, communications and support arrangements through which an aircraft becomes part of an operational service.
Crewed-uncrewed teaming is another part of that work. Its HTeaming approach gives helicopter crews an interface for controlling and using uncrewed assets during a mission. Across the portfolio, Airbus brings airframe engineering together with mission management and links between platforms, allowing surveillance and other tasks to be distributed across aircraft with different operating roles.
Products
Supply
Supply chain relationships
- FAULHABER
Inbound - Motion - FAULHABER supplies 0824 B motors and SC1801 controllers for the Airbus CIMON free-flying robot
Source - L3Harris Technologies
Inbound - Compute & Control - L3Harris provided mission-system integration for Airbus's Aerial Logistics Connector autonomous flight-test programme
Source - Voyageur Aviation
Outbound - robotic motion components - Voyageur Aviation placed the first Canadian purchase order for Airbus U030 Flexrotor
Source
Team
- Guillaume Faury - Chief Executive Officer - Leads the diversified aerospace group that owns the Flexrotor uncrewed-aircraft platform.
- Matthieu Louvot - Chief Executive Officer, Airbus Helicopters - Leads Airbus Helicopters, the business responsible for U030 Flexrotor.
Timeline
Events
- 2026-07-22 - Deployment - Airbus U030 Flexrotor begins EMSA maritime-surveillance operations in the Baltic
The deployment operates under Airbus's EUR 30 million EMSA RPAS services framework awarded in December 2025. EO/IR and radar data is streamed in real time to the EMSA RPAS Data Centre. Extensee operates the aircraft while Airbus manages and coordinates the RPAS service.
Source - 2026-07-21 - Commercial Order - Voyageur places first Canadian order for Airbus U030 Flexrotor
Flexrotor is a tactical VTOL UAS for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance. The aircraft has a 25 kg maximum launch weight and more than 12 hours of endurance in standard configurations. It performs fully autonomous launch and recovery from land or sea within a 3.7 by 3.7 metre area.
Source - 2026-06-18 - Partnership - Airbus and Comand AI partner on AI-native command and control
Airbus said it would integrate the Prevail platform into its command-and-control ecosystem. The combined offering targets faster battlefield-data analysis, manoeuvre planning and situational awareness under time and resource constraints. The parties framed the work as a European sovereign and NATO-interoperable C2 capability, not a disclosed procurement award.
Source - 2026-06-12 - Partnership - Airbus and Quantum Systems integrate counter-UAS interceptors with military helicopters
Current developments show that aerial systems need answers to drone threats,” said Martin Karkour, Chief Revenue Office at Quantum Systems. On Airbus’ static display the U145 mockup already features Quantum Systems’ advanced C-UAS solution.
Source - 2026-06-11 - Partnership - Airbus and Alta Ares sign counter-drone partnership
The MoU covers development and integration of European counter-drone solutions. Airbus described Alta Ares as specialised in counter-drone systems and onboard artificial intelligence. The partnership adds an OEM integration signal alongside Alta Ares’ June 2026 Series A financing.
Source - 2026-06-10 - Demonstration - Airbus demonstrates drone portfolio at ILA Berlin
Airbus U760 Ravenstorm and U740 Valkyrie: the UCCA family Airbus builds on two decades of UCCA experience, starting with the Barracuda demonstrator that flew for the first time 20 years ago. Whatever unmanneed or ‘drone’ capability our customers need to strengthen sovereign air power, we deliver,” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
Source - 2026-06-08 - Product Launch - Airbus introduces U145 uncrewed helicopter
Airbus displayed a full-scale U145 mock-up at ILA Berlin. The aircraft removes the physical cockpit and adds a cargo nose door, foldable loading table and dedicated cargo floor. A safety-pilot maiden flight was planned for the end of 2026, with entry into service targeted for the beginning of the next decade.
Source - 2026-04-24 - Demonstration - L3Harris integrates MQ-72C for fourth autonomous flight test
The test used an H-145 aircraft configured as the autonomous MQ-72C prototype. L3Harris provides the programme’s digital backbone and lead systems-integration work. The aircraft flew autonomously, avoided obstacles and landed under representative conditions.
Source - 2026-01-16 - Commercial Order - France orders six U070/VSR700 systems
The order launches serial production of six aircraft. The French Navy configuration combines surveillance radar, an electro-optical system and an AIS receiver. Naval Group will integrate the aircraft and Steeris mission system with ship combat systems.
Source - 2025-09-23 - Demonstration - Shield AI and Airbus complete autonomous DT25 flight test
The teams completed the Hivemind integration in three months before flying at Andoya, Norway. The DT25 autonomously tracked a live adversary aircraft in both permissive and degraded operating environments. The flight exercised a counter-UAS mission profile and forms part of wider Shield AI-Airbus work across U.S. and European platforms.
Source - 2025-08-19 - Demonstration - Airbus and Shield AI complete first autonomous Aerial Logistics Connector flight
The Grand Prairie test used an H145 helicopter, with Hivemind integration completed in under two months. Hivemind and Airbus Helionix performed automatic takeoff, landing and other test points without pilot input. The tested software is intended for the future MQ-72C design supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Aerial Logistics Connector programme.
Source - 2025-06-18 - Commercial Order - Drone Forge orders 17 Airbus Flexrotor aircraft
The order was the largest disclosed Flexrotor purchase when Airbus announced it in June 2025. The ordered configuration includes heavy-fuel engines, Starlink connectivity and PT-6 imaging payloads. Drone Forge identified littoral surveillance, inland missions, infrastructure monitoring and maritime assessment as target uses.
Source - 2020-10-06 - Partnership - KULR partners with Airbus on battery safety solutions for aerospace applications
The programme covers battery safety for defence, space, helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft applications. KULR's passive-propagation-resistant design combines Thermal Runaway Shield, internal-short-circuit and NASA calorimeter technologies.
Source
Notes
Profile notes
- Airbus flew CityAirbus to learn from it while deciding the technology was not ready for a product programme
reviewed 2026-07-20 - Airbus continued CityAirbus NextGen flight testing during 2025 but decided to pause the programme after the campaign rather than proceed toward market launch. The company cited battery performance, regulation and business-model maturity, so the demonstrator's flights remain real technical evidence without establishing an active certification or commercial-aircraft programme.
Source
Relations
Relationships
- Alta Ares
Counter Drone Development Partner - Alta Ares and Airbus are partnering to develop sovereign European counter-drone and air-defence solutions.
- Quantum Systems
Technology Partner - Quantum Systems and Airbus Helicopters are developing helicopter-launched counter-UAS interceptor integration.
- L3Harris Technologies
Documented System Integration - L3Harris provided mission-system integration for Airbus's Aerial Logistics Connector autonomous flight-test programme.
- European Maritime Safety Agency
Maritime Surveillance Customer - Airbus operates U030 Flexrotor maritime-surveillance services for EMSA in the Baltic.
- Extensee
Deployment Partner - Extensee operates the U030 Flexrotor aircraft used in Airbus's EMSA maritime-surveillance service.
- Airbus UpNext
Parent Company - Airbus UpNext is a wholly owned Airbus subsidiary.
- AALTO
Parent And Programme Origin - Airbus transferred the Zephyr programme into AALTO HAPS, remaining an owner and strategic partner of the operating company.
- Drone Forge
Flexrotor Order Customer - Airbus received Drone Forge's signed order for six Flexrotor systems comprising 17 aircraft.
- Helsing
Wingman AI Partner - Helsing and Airbus Defence and Space signed a cooperation framework for AI on the future uncrewed Wingman system.
- Donecle
Aircraft Oem Authorization - Airbus authorized Donecle drone-based inspections in aircraft maintenance manuals.
Context
Comparable profiles
- Piasecki Aircraft
comparable profile - Defence Aircraft Builder
- Embraer
comparable profile - Defence Aircraft Builder
- Aurora Flight Sciences
comparable profile - Defence Aircraft Builder
Shared workflows
- Rocket Lab
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Lockheed Martin
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Kalam Labs
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Hop Aero
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Spaceium
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Elodin
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Cascade Space
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Navier AI
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Basalt
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Inversion Space
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Reditus Space
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
- Wardstone
workflow adjacency - Aerospace Autonomy Innovation
Context tags
- Aerial autonomy technology stack - Stack Layer - Airbus develops uncrewed aircraft and autonomous teaming.
- Defence aircraft builder - Peer Group - Airbus fields a broad defence UAS portfolio.
- VTOL unmanned aircraft - Capability - The portfolio includes U030, U070 and U145 VTOL uncrewed aircraft.
- Aerospace autonomy innovation - Workflow - MARS provides multi-platform mission autonomy.
Commercial
- Voyageur places first Canadian order for Airbus U030 Flexrotor
2026-07-21 · Order / contract · Voyageur Aviation placed the first Canadian purchase order for Airbus's U030 Flexrotor and became the platform's official Canadian launch customer.
Source - France orders six U070/VSR700 systems
2026-01-16 · Order / contract · France awarded Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group a production contract for six U070/VSR700 uncrewed aircraft for French Navy operations from 2028.
Source - Drone Forge orders 17 Airbus Flexrotor aircraft
2025-06-18 · Order / contract · Drone Forge signed an agreement for six Airbus Flexrotor uncrewed-aircraft systems comprising 17 aircraft for Asia-Pacific missions.
Source