German Eurofighter and Tornado crews trained alongside virtual allies and against computer-generated threats during the Luftwaffe’s Timber Express exercise in summer 2026, Airbus said.
The annual exercise tests the real-time exchange of tactical data among participating units and weapon systems. Past editions have involved other branches of the Bundeswehr, NATO members and partner nations. In 2026, Airbus connected its System Development Lab (SDL) to the live training environment, inserting synthetic aircraft and threats into the same operational scenario as the real participants.
Synthetic aircraft join a live exercise
René Birkholz, Business Developer for Future Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space, said the SDL acted as “a constructive engine,” integrating simulated assets with live forces. He said the approach reduces the cost of filling the airspace with aircraft, allows systems that do not yet exist to be tested and keeps sensitive tactics out of public view.
One example was an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft expected to enter service by the end of the decade. At ILA Berlin in June 2026, Airbus said its U740 Valkyrie was intended to provide the German Air Force with a sovereign uncrewed combat aircraft by 2029.
Testing future systems before they fly
Beyond training, Airbus plans to use the SDL throughout weapon system development, running large volumes of automated simulations to compare configurations before designs are fixed.
The SDL trial fits into Germany’s broader effort to connect the Eurofighter with uncrewed combat aircraft. Berlin is preparing a competition for “fighter-bomber drones” intended to operate alongside its fighters, with an initial capability sought by 2029. Lieutenant General Holger Neumann, the German Air Force chief, has said the decisive element of future airpower is networking aircraft, uncrewed systems and sensors through a combat cloud.
France is pursuing a parallel national path, developing a stealth combat drone to support the Rafale F5 from 2033. As the joint FCAS program remains stalled, its two principal partners are moving separately toward a similar model: extending their existing fighters with uncrewed teammates.