The Barracuda originated as a UAV design study, intended to push EADS into the market for medium-altitude long-range UAVs, a market they view as dominated by the United States and Israel. It's 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 during a 2006 test flight, which put the project on hold until 2008. EADS' current focus is to get the Barracuda certified for unregulated flight in Germany's designated airspace, while the long-term goal is to have it certified for non-segregated airspace.