Airbus and Boeing revealed modified and upgraded variants of a military drone and an uncrewed helicopter during the ILA Berlin Air Show last week. The capabilities and technologies featured on the autonomous aircraft unveiled by the two aerospace manufacturers reflect continued international military interest in adopting autonomous multi-mission aircraft capable of flying in tandem with other fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.<\/p>\n
Airbus <\/p>\n
Airbus Helicopters introduced the U145, an uncrewed version of its existing H145 multi-role helicopter. The uncrewed H145 will have no physical cockpit and includes modifications for cargo-carrying options, including a dedicated cargo floor and integrated nose door with a foldable loading table. The U145’s maximum take-off weight (MTOW) is 3,800 kg and it is primarily being developed for cargo transportation missions. Airbus also notes that the U145’s modular design can support other missions, including “disaster management, firefighting, armed scouting, surveillance, drone mothership functionality for air launched effects, where Airbus is partnering with MBDA, as well as crewed-uncrewed teaming.”<\/p>\n
RELATED: REGISTER TO ATTEND SAE MEDIA GROUP’S ‘MILITARY ROBOTICS and AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS USA’ CONFERENCE, JULY 8-9, 2026 in ARLINGTON, VA\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The U145 will also feature a specialized sensor suite and artificial intelligence (AI) for “full autonomy,” although Airbus did not provide details about how these capabilities will be enabled.<\/p>\n “To develop the U145 and its capabilities as a multi-mission UAS, we will be teaming up with leading autonomous mission partners to further expand the UAS ecosystem in Europe,\u201d said Matthieu Louvout, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.<\/p>\n In addition to the U145, Airbus Helicopters also signed a new agreement\u00a0<\/a> with Quantum Systems at ILA Berlin to explore the integration of counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) interceptors into the H145, as well as other Airbus military helicopters.<\/p>\n “This cooperation demonstrates how Europe’s defense industry can combine complementary strengths to address emerging operational challenges. Together, Airbus and Quantum Systems are advancing the integration of crewed and uncrewed capabilities to build a more resilient and effective defense ecosystem. As a deep-tech prime for the unmanned era, our ambition is to support armed forces in gaining a decisive technological advantage against increasingly sophisticated airborne threats. Current developments show that aerial systems need answers to drone threats,” said Martin Karkour, Chief Revenue Officer at Quantum Systems.<\/p>\n Airbus expects the U145 to make its maiden flight with a safety pilot onboard by the end of 2026, with eventual entry into service at “the beginning of the next decade,” the company said.<\/p>\n Boeing <\/p>\n Boeing revealed a larger variant of its MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone at ILA Berlin. The larger MQ-28 variant features an increased wingspan that allows it to carry an additional 2,000 pounds of fuel, stores and mission payloads. The new MQ-28 variant can also be provisioned to carry two AMRAAM missiles or four small diameter bombs (SDBs) internally.<\/p>\n Boeing first began developing the MQ-28 in 2017 as a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) designed to fly in tandem with crewed aircraft in a variety of roles, including surveillance, electronic warfare and force multiplication. Most of the Ghost Bat’s early program development occurred in collaboration with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Prior to ILA Berlin, Boeing confirmed another advanced capability for the MQ-28 with Radar Cross Section\u00a0<\/a> (RCS) testing of its stealth performance. The MQ-28\u2019s RCS reduces the range at which enemy radars can detect and engage the aircraft.<\/p>\n \u201cThat additional capacity gives operators freedom to balance payload and endurance to configure for the mission at hand, whether that means carrying extra fuel for longer-range operations, increasing weapons carriage, or any combination of both,\u201d said Glen Ferguson, Boeing’s MQ-28 Global Program Director.<\/p>\n Other new MQ-28 capabilities announced for the larger variant at ILA Berlin include software development upgrades that are compliant with Government Reference Architecture, or “open standards\u201d that enable operators to tailor weapons, payloads, command and control, and mission autonomy to suit their operational requirements, according to Boeing. New Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communication links have also been added to the larger MQ-28 variant, allowing it to operate from a crewed aircraft, ground station or naval vessel at “unlimited standoff distances.”<\/p>\n Boeing also upgraded the MQ-28’s modular, missionized nose to provide enhanced payload configuration options and the insertion of third-party capabilities.<\/p>\n \u201cThe advanced maturity of the MQ-28 systems is what allows us to continually adapt to the changing operational environment and minimize the risk as we transition to operations,\u201d said Amy List, Vice President and Managing Director of Boeing Defence Australia.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/20260615_Aerospace_Story1_image2.jpg\")
The U145 is displayed here featuring a counter-UAS system developed by Quantum Systems. (Image: Airbus) <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/20260615_Aerospace_Story1_image3.jpg\")
The larger version of Boeing’s MQ-28 includes a wing that is 25 percent larger and the ability to carry two AMRAAM missiles or four small diameter bombs. (Image: Boeing) <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/20260615_Aerospace_Story1_image4.jpg\")
Elevation, or pitch, is one angle engineers analyze to validate MQ-28\u2019s radar detectability inside Boeing\u2019s test chamber. Other positions used in Radar Cross Section testing include azimuth (measure from nose to tail) and roll (rotation around the aircraft). (Image: Boeing) <\/p>\n