BREMEN, Germany — German aerospace company POLARIS Spaceplanes has completed the first flight of its COBRA uncrewed aircraft prototype, flying more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) on August 21, 2026. The company described the flight as “perfectly smooth” and said additional test flights are planned in the coming months. Video of the maiden flight is expected to be released soon.
The COBRA has a takeoff mass of more than 600 kilograms and is being developed with German defense company Diehl Defence under the Airborne Launching and Attack System (AirLAS) program. The system is designed to carry and launch IRIS-T air-to-air missiles from an unmanned airborne platform.
AirLAS is intended to provide a mobile, forward-deployed air-defense capability by moving the missile launch point closer to an approaching target. The system is designed for engagements involving aircraft, drones, cruise missiles and helicopters.
POLARIS and Diehl Defence signed an exclusive cooperation agreement for the project at the Paris Air Show in June 2025. The companies publicly unveiled the Cobra 600 demonstrator at the ILA Berlin Air Show in June 2026.
The six-meter-long Cobra 600 uses a delta-wing, flying-wing-style airframe with wingtip stabilizers. It was displayed carrying one IRIS-T missile on a top-mounted pylon. The demonstrator uses two JetCat P1000-PRO micro turbojet engines, each producing just under 250 pounds of thrust, while the airframe has intake ports for two additional engines.
The aircraft has retractable tricycle landing gear and is designed to operate from conventional runways as well as suitable sections of highway. The system is designed to be reusable when a mission ends without launching its missile, but it can also be used as a one-way asset when required. Reports associated with the Cobra 600 have put its flight range with a combat payload at around 250 to 400 kilometers.
The IRIS-T is a short-range, infrared-guided air-to-air missile developed by Diehl Defence and used by multiple European and allied air forces. It weighs 87.4 kilograms, has a stated top speed of Mach 3 and an operational range of about 25 kilometers when launched from an aircraft. Ground-launched IRIS-T SLS and SLM variants have ranges of roughly 12 kilometers and 40 kilometers, respectively, according to the figures provided for the systems.
By carrying the missile on an unmanned aircraft, AirLAS is intended to overcome some of the geographic limitations of stationary ground launchers by positioning the launch point closer to the target before firing.
POLARIS, based in Bremen, originally focused on reusable hypersonic spaceplanes. The company describes COBRA as a scaled-down derivative of that work adapted for defense applications. Its other programs include the AURORA multipurpose spaceplane, while BAAINBw has also funded POLARIS work on in-flight refueling technology intended to extend the range and payload capacity of its vehicles.
AirLAS does not currently have a confirmed procurement contract from the German military or another government. Diehl Defence has said at least one unnamed allied country has expressed investment interest, but no formal purchase agreement has been disclosed.
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