German aerospace firm POLARIS Spaceplanes has completed the maiden flight of its COBRA prototype, flying over 20 km as part of the AirLAS defense program. Developed in partnership with Diehl Defence, the uncrewed platform features a takeoff mass exceeding 600 kg and is engineered to carry and launch IRIS-T short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missiles for air defense missions.
As reported by POLARIS Spaceplanes, the AirLAS initiative aims to integrate the 87.4 kg IRIS-T missile onto an airborne platform rather than relying on stationary ground launchers. This approach moves the launch point closer to incoming targets, extending the operational reach against aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and helicopters. The delta-wing vehicle uses a top-mounted pylon for missile carriage and is designed for mission recovery or one-way expendable operations.
Unveiled at the ILA Berlin air show in June 2026 as the Cobra 600 demonstrator, the 6-meter aircraft is powered by twin micro turbojet engines with provisions for additional propulsion integration. Derived from POLARIS Spaceplanes’ reusable hypersonic aircraft research, the COBRA platform is slated for further flight trials in the coming months, though no official government procurement contracts for the system have been announced to date.
