EADS Barracuda

European Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The EADS Barracuda was a jet powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), EADS, used for the role of aerial reconnaissance and also combat (like UCAV). The aircraft was a joint venture between Germany and Spain. Development of the project was stopped after the first prototype crashed at Mar Menor while approaching for landing during a test flight. The program was resumed in 2008, with a second prototype being completed in November 2008. The rebuilt Barracuda underwent a series of successful flight tests in Goose Bay, Canada during July 2009, followed by further flight campaigns in 2010 and 2012. The Barracuda's primary competition was Dassault nEUROn for strategic and defensive contracts. Both were stealthy and had a maximum air speed of around Mach 0.85. While Germany and Spain were behind the Barracuda, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, and Spain as well funded the nEUROn. It was retired after six test campaigns.

The Barracuda originated as a UAV design study, intended to push EADS into the market for medium altitude long range UAVs, a market they viewed as dominated by the United States and Israel. Its development began in 2003, with its official debut at the 2006 International Aerospace Exhibition, where military applications and specifications for the Barracuda were revealed. The Barracuda crashed in Mar Menor at Region de Murcia during a 2006 test flight, which put the project on hold until 2008. They also planned to develop the Barracuda as a modular platform, so that it could be refitted for various roles like maritime patrol. Offensive capabilities were not planned, but it could carry weapons if customers expressed interest for it. The Barracuda could also be capable of carrying weapon systems. The systems could be installed in the central payload bay. Germany also discussed a partnership with Sweden and Italy for a multinational unmanned aerial vehicle effort in order to compete with the French led Dassault nEUROn programme. Spain, Italy and Sweden were already participants in the French led effort. The Barracuda's maiden flight took place in April, 2006 at a remote location on the Iberian Peninsula. The flight was a success but the prototype crashed into the water of Mar Menor during a test flight just off the Spanish coast of Region de Murcia on September 23, 2006.

The Barracuda was based on commercially available 'off the shelf' components, but also many refined systems. but also had a greater strength to weight ratio than traditional aircraft materials such as aluminum (the structure of the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing 787 Dreamliner were also made significantly out of it).