| 22 July, 2025 / Paris
American manufacturers developing the first generation of uncrewed fighter aircraft see big potential in Europe.
A range of large and small firms, including General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), Anduril, Boeing and Kratos, are pursuing European sales opportunities for their autonomous combat jets, as the US Air Force (USAF) prepares to fly two prototype designs for the first time in the coming weeks.
While there is strong interest globally in the concept for such pilotless fighters – known alternatively as autonomous collaborative platforms (ACPs) or collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) – it remains to be seen if the American manufacturers will see success outside their domestic market.
On the one hand, the Americans are years ahead of their European rivals in developing the new category of aircraft. Anduril and GA-ASI will soon fly the YFQ-44A and YFQ-42A prototypes, with one to be selected as the USAF’s first frontline autonomous fighter.
Kratos has been flying its XQ-58A Valkyrie since 2019 in a test and technology development capacity for both the USAF and US Marine Corps, with the latter mulling an operational fielding of the autonomous jet.
Boeing partnered with the Royal Australian Air Force to develop the MQ-28 Ghost Bat in Australia, with that type having logged more than 105 sorties and now making regular flights Down Under.
Source: Kratos Defense & Security Solutions
US manufacturer Kratos is partnering with Airbus to offer the XQ-58 Valkyrie uncrewed jet to the German air force with a “sovereign multi-platform mission system”
By contrast, European manufacturers have relatively little to show off in the realm of autonomous fighters.
The UK’s BAE Systems hopes to fly a demonstrator aircraft two years from now as a potential complement to the sixth-generation Tempest fighter, a joint development effort between the UK, Italy and Japan.
France’s Dassault Aviation first flew an early ACP demonstrator called Neuron more than a decade ago, but failed to capitalise on that early lead.
The company unveiled a successor to the Neuron in model form at the 2025 Paris air show, but the capability is not expected to be ready until the 2030s.
Only Turkish firms Turkish Aerospace and Baykar have developmental ACPs currently flying, with interest largely confined to their domestic market for now.
With interest surging in the concept of “affordable mass” promised by ACPs, US aerospace firms appear to have pole position in the race to field the new jets and secure customers. Company executives tell FlightGlobal they are bullish on the prospects for their products in Europe.
“I would characterise it as a high level of interest,” says Andrew Van Timmeren, director of air dominance systems at Anduril.
The California start-up plans to offer its Fury ACP, which serves as the basis for the USAF’s YFQ-44A prototype, to European customers.
Fellow California manufacturer GA-ASI reports similarly high levels of customer interest around its CCA offerings, particularly the rival YFQ-42A competing against Anduril to be the USAF’s first uncrewed fighter.
“The first day of the Paris air show this year was the busiest day I’ve ever had at a defence show,” says C. Mark Brinkley, the company’s head of strategic communications.
Both firms displayed full-scale models of their YFQ prototypes at Paris in June.
Developed for the US Air Force, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Anduril plan to offer derivatives of the YFQ-42A (below) and YFQ-44A (above) to customers in Europe
A particular strategy for securing European customers appears to be emerging among the ACP manufacturers in the weeks following the Paris event: local production and sustainment.
The two YFQ rivals have both announced partnerships to offer locally-assembled variants of their uncrewed fighters to European customers.
Anduril has an agreement with German arms maker Rheinmetall covering Fury production, while GA-ASI will offer a derivative of the YFQ-42A via its German affiliate General Atomics Aerotec Systems GmbH.
Meanwhile, Kratos and European airframer Airbus Defence & Space have announced a partnership to offer the XQ-58A to the German air force that will feature a “sovereign multi-platform mission system”.
Boeing is also looking to pursue a similar tack.
Speaking at the Paris air show, the chief executive of Boeing’s defence unit Steve Parker said the US airframer is looking for a European partner to offer the MQ-28 locally, while the Australian government explores its options for a large-scale fielding.
The race is now afoot to secure the continent’s first contract to deliver operational ACPs for active service, with domestic incumbents far behind on their home territory.
Across the English Channel, the UK hosted the annual Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire over the weekend.
Notable developments from the show included a first public appearance by the Royal Air Force’s Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft and the presence of two Lockheed Martin U-2S spyplanes from the USAF.
Separately, Belgium has announced its intention to buy an additional batch of Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters, and Italy signed a deal with L3Harris covering the conversion of two Gulfstream G550 business jets into electronic attack aircraft.
Credit to: FlightGlobal.com
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