Company / Unmanned Systems
Airbus Defence and Space
Defence and space division of Airbus and prime contractor for the European MALE RPAS Eurodrone and the Spanish SIRTAP tactical UAS.
Taufkirchen (Munich), GermanyUnmanned Systems systems
About the company
About Airbus Defence and Space
Airbus Defence and Space is one of the operating divisions of the European aerospace group Airbus and is headquartered in Taufkirchen near Munich. It was formed in 2014 from the former EADS units Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military and covers military aircraft, space systems, connected intelligence and unmanned aerial systems. Major German sites include Manching, Ottobrunn/Taufkirchen, Friedrichshafen and Bremen; further key sites are in Spain and France.
In unmanned aviation the division leads the Eurodrone programme, a medium-altitude long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft system developed for Germany, France, Italy and Spain with Leonardo and Dassault Aviation as partners. In Spain it is developing SIRTAP, a tactical UAS ordered by the Spanish Ministry of Defence; the first prototype was assembled at Getafe and moved into ground testing in 2025.
Other activities include the Zephyr solar-powered high-altitude platform and the Airbus Wingman concept, unveiled in 2024, for an unmanned aircraft operating alongside crewed combat aircraft such as the Eurofighter. Naval rotary-wing UAS such as the VSR700 are developed by the sister division Airbus Helicopters.
In the news17 stories
Interceptor drones in the lead: Ukraine orders more than 590,000 drones via Brave1 Market
For the first time, interceptor drones top the order statistics of the Ukrainian armed forces, ahead even of FPV combat drones. Behind this is a procurement model that converts combat successes into points and is now also attracting Airbus Defence and Space and Canada.
ARX Robotics hires Florian Taitsch as Senior Director Marketing & Communications
New people and appointments at ARX Robotics: Florian Taitsch, formerly with Airbus and Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH, is responsible for communications, marketing and branding in a newly created role. CEO Marc Wietfeld and Taitsch explain the move.
Drone swarms with a shared “brain”: Airbus flies MARS AI software at ILA Berlin 2026
One mission manager instead of one pilot per drone: Airbus Defence and Space wants to control drone swarms with the AI-based MARS Autonomy Suite. At ILA Berlin 2026, two Primoco One 150 flew autonomously using the software.
Quantum Systems' 1.05 billion euro Series D lifts valuation to around 7 billion
Unmanned systems startups in focus: Advent, Airbus, Blackstone and Noteus are leading the new round. Quantum Systems plans to use the fresh capital to expand production, supply chains and AI development – and to deepen its cooperation with Airbus Defence and Space.
Interceptor drone Bird of Prey: Airbus reports first demonstration flight
Nine months after the project started, Airbus's Bird of Prey autonomously detected and engaged a kamikaze drone at a training area in northern Germany. The interceptor drone is armed with Mark I missiles from Frankenburg Technologies.
Unmanned combat aircraft for the Luftwaffe: Airbus and Kratos aim to make Valkyrie operational by 2029
In Manching, two Kratos Valkyries are being prepared for a first flight with a European mission system. The goal is an unmanned combat aircraft available to the German Air Force from 2029 – alongside the Eurofighter.
Unmanned systems in the CCA programme: US Air Force selects Shield AI as mission autonomy provider
The Hivemind autonomy software is already flying in Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury, with flight demonstrations expected in the coming months. Now the US Air Force has selected Shield AI for the TMRR phase of its programme for unmanned systems in air combat.
Combat-proven drones: “One month in Ukraine replaces ten years of NATO peace” – Primoco UAV
Czech manufacturer Primoco UAV SE is one of the few European drone companies whose systems have been used, refined and certified under real combat conditions. Founder Ladislav Semetkovský on lessons from Ukraine, why subsidies slow innovation and why only combat-proven drones count.
Quantum Systems funding round raises 160 million euros – Balderton Capital leads
Fresh capital for Quantum Systems: alongside existing backers, Hensoldt and Airbus Defence and Space are among the investors in the funding round. The money is to go into expansion, production, drone systems, software and AI.
Drone start-up Hydra Drones: MBDA takes a minority stake
European defence group MBDA is investing a six-figure sum in British drone start-up Hydra Drones. Its heavy-lift transport drone, the Hydra 400, carries up to 400 kilograms, and a complete prototype is due later this year.
UAVs in a team: Airbus controls Primoco drones autonomously with Teaming Intelligence
In the Czech Republic, two Primoco One 150 aircraft shared surveillance areas and tasks – coordinated by Airbus’s Teaming Intelligence software. This is to allow operators to command several UAVs at once; the next step is to turn it into a product.
Military drones: Spain plans tender worth more than 200 million euros
Class I and II military drones are on the annual procurement plan of the Spanish Ministry of Defence. Which types will be bought remains open – according to Infodefensa, candidates include Aertec’s Tarsis and Airbus’s Sirtap.
Military drones: Airbus turns Do-DT25 target drone into LOAD air defence system
Until now, the Do-DT25 served as a target for air defence missiles. With LOAD, Airbus is converting it into one of the military drones for air defence – presented in Bonn, with up to three missiles and autonomous target search after authorisation.
AI-controlled drone swarm: Airbus, Quantum Systems and Spleenlab demonstrate autonomous swarm technology
A drone swarm of Vector, Scorpion and Airbus drones flew under the control of a mission AI at the Airbus Drone Center near Manching. The results of the Bundeswehr study KITU 2 are also to support major programmes such as MGCS and FCAS.
Drone carriers: Turkey and China are close to commissioning their first ships
Ankara is preparing the “TCG Anadolu” for a squadron of Bayraktar TB3s, while a suspected drone carrier lies in a Chinese shipyard. Plus a look back at pioneer Schiebel and the question of how vulnerable MALE drones are.
Mini drones for the navy: France's DGA orders 15 more SMDM from Survey Copter
With a contract worth almost 30 million euros, France is expanding its fleet of ship-based mini drones. What Survey Copter's SMDM can do and when the new systems will be handed over to the navy.
S-70 Okhotnik combat drone: Sukhoi rolls out second near-production stealth prototype in Siberia
A combat drone with stealth ambitions: the new S-70 prototype shows a much smoother skin than its predecessor, and Moscow holds out the prospect of an order after tests next year. Whether series production from 2024 will succeed remains open.
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Airbus: Unbemannte Luftfahrtsysteme & Missionsautonomie | „DroneVation & Defence 2026”
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