EADS Barracuda

The EADS Barracuda is a jet-powered unmanned aircraft technology demonstrator developed in Germany. The project is regarded as an important predecessor to later European unmanned-aircraft activities continued under Airbus Defence and Space. The platform made its first flight on 2 April 2006 near San Javier, Spain.

Built largely from carbon-fibre composites, the Barracuda combines high speed with a fighter-like airframe designed to reduce radar signature. Rather than being continuously controlled through conventional manual inputs, the aircraft was designed to fly autonomously using high-level commands from a ground control station. Multiple data links allowed the platform to be monitored and directed throughout its missions.

The Barracuda’s test campaigns examined reconnaissance-data transmission, automatic collision avoidance, route changes in response to airspace threats, automatic ground-target recognition and sensor-data fusion with crewed aircraft. After being rebuilt following an accident during its second test flight, the demonstrator completed a total of six flight campaigns.

According to the Plarok database, the EADS Barracuda has a maximum speed of 500 knots, a service ceiling of 35,000 feet and an approximate payload capacity of 800 kilograms. Although it never entered operational service, the platform became an important development step for the autonomy, ISR and manned-unmanned teaming technologies later transferred to European projects such as Eurodrone and FCAS.