MBDA Deutschland's SHARCS modular drone strengthens Europe’s deep strike and remote carrier capabilities.

MBDA Deutschland’s SHARCS jet testbed is deployment-ready, accelerating remote carrier drone tech for Europe’s next-gen fighter program.

On September 23, 2025, MBDA Deutschland announced the deployment readiness of its upgraded SHARCS flying laboratory, as reported by the company on its official X account. Designed to serve as a catalyst for the rapid development of remote carriers, SHARCS brings early-stage testing of avionics, sensors, algorithms, and secure data links out of the simulator and into real-world flight conditions. This milestone is highly relevant as it directly supports Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program, where remote carriers are expected to play a decisive role in extending deep strike capabilities.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

SHARCS represents an important step forward in Europe’s ability to accelerate defense innovation. By bridging the gap between laboratory design and operational reality, MBDA Deutschland is positioning itself as a key enabler of FCAS and the broader shift toward modular, networked unmanned systems (Picture source: MBDA Deutschland)

The SHARCS platform is a compact, jet-powered remote carrier built around an open architecture, with a swappable nose section that accepts a variety of payloads. That design lets MBDA trial everything from sensor suites to electronic-warfare tools while checking how each element behaves inside a broader system-of-systems. In practice, SHARCS serves two purposes at once: it is a flying lab for rapid experimentation and a bridge toward carrier designs that could be taken into service later.

Its development tracks a wider MBDA push to shorten product cycles by getting out of the simulator and into the air earlier. Launched as a testbed, SHARCS has become a key accelerator for the Remote Carrier line within FCAS, allowing hardware and software to be validated in realistic conditions. The approach answers a familiar problem, how to deliver next-generation combat technologies at the pace set by today’s security environment, and recalls how U.S. X-plane programs proved new ideas before full-rate production.

Adaptability is the platform’s core strength. Where classic test aircraft tend to be locked into one configuration, SHARCS can change payloads and mission roles quickly thanks to its modular nose. That flexibility avoids the cost and delay of building bespoke prototypes for every new capability. Its role inside FCAS invites comparison with the U.S. Skyborg effort, both mix autonomy, networking and sensors on modular unmanned testbeds, though the German-led system leans more heavily on seamless alignment with European standards and multinational concepts of operations.

The strategic payoff is European as much as technical. By speeding up the maturation of Remote Carrier technologies, SHARCS helps Europe field homegrown deep-strike and electronic-warfare options and reduces reliance on non-European suppliers. It also keeps pace with U.S. and Chinese advances in collaborative combat aircraft, giving Germany and partners a more credible deterrent through network-enabled strike packages designed to survive and hit in contested airspace.

MBDA has not detailed SHARCS-specific funding, but the work sits inside the broader FCAS framework backed by France, Germany and Spain, with major roles for Airbus, Dassault Aviation and MBDA. SHARCS has not been flagged as a standalone contract; instead it appears to be financed through ongoing FCAS Remote Carrier budgets. For the flight test and validation phases in particular, Germany is understood to be the main public backer.

SHARCS represents an important step forward in Europe’s ability to accelerate defense innovation. By bridging the gap between laboratory design and operational reality, MBDA Deutschland is positioning itself as a key enabler of FCAS and the broader shift toward modular, networked unmanned systems. For European defense planners, the readiness of SHARCS signals not just a technical milestone but also a demonstration of the industrial capacity to deliver at the pace demanded by today’s security environment.testing, and refinement.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.