Airbus is advancing Airbus autonomous UAV capabilities through a networked intelligence approach that enables multiple uncrewed aircraft to operate collaboratively under a shared autonomous mission framework. The company recently demonstrated the technology during the 2026 ILA Berlin Air Show, where two Primoco uncrewed aerial vehicles completed autonomous missions using Airbus’ AI-enriched MARS Autonomy suite.
According to Airbus, the demonstration marked the first live collaborative autonomous flight of uncrewed assets at a major public trade show in Europe.
Airbus Autonomous UAV Technology Demonstrated at ILA
The live demonstration featured two Primoco UAVs conducting autonomous missions powered by Airbus’ Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Secure (MARS) Autonomy suite.
Rather than operating as individual aircraft controlled independently, the UAVs shared distributed intelligence that enabled coordinated mission execution under a single mission manager. Airbus compared the concept to a sports team, where multiple platforms work toward a common objective instead of receiving constant individual commands.
The demonstration included:
- Teamed multi-role surveillance
- Teamed surveillance for accelerated speed
According to Airbus, the software can scale to support additional aircraft and mission types, including engagement operations coordinated through a single mission manager.
Networked Intelligence Reduces Operator Workload
Airbus said its software-defined defense approach shifts flight guidance and tactical coordination from individual operators to the AI-enabled autonomy system.
The company stated that operators transition from continuously monitoring aircraft to managing missions at a higher level while maintaining meaningful human control throughout operations.
According to Airbus, the MARS Autonomy suite provides capabilities including:
- Multi-platform mission planning
- Automated task allocation and route planning
- Mission management with dynamic replanning
- Automatic target recognition
- Data fusion
- Live video streaming
- Automated flight management
- Collision avoidance
MARS Mission System Supports Future Platforms
Airbus said the MARS Autonomy suite forms part of its broader MARS Mission System, an open-architecture software framework designed to support both crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
The company described the approach as “software-defined evolution,” allowing aircraft capabilities to be updated through software rather than requiring new platform designs.
According to Airbus, the system is platform agnostic and can be integrated with Airbus or third-party crewed and uncrewed aircraft. Initial operational deployment on Primoco One 150 UAVs is scheduled for 2026.
Supporting Future Autonomous Operations
Airbus said the MARS Mission System will serve as the foundation of its Uncrewed Collaborative Combat Aircraft portfolio strategy.
The company plans to integrate the mission system into the Airbus U740 Valkyrie by 2029, followed by the Airbus U760 Ravenstorm by 2032. Airbus said the technology is intended to support collaborative intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, hostile air defense suppression and autonomous cargo logistics.
The Airbus autonomous UAV approach combines AI-enabled networked intelligence with an open software architecture designed to support coordinated autonomous operations across multiple aircraft and future mission platforms.
Source: Airbus
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