According to an Airbus press release, development of the MAVERIC began in 2017 as part of the AirbusUpNext research program.
[2] The primary purpose of the MAVERIC is to research controllability improvements for blended wing body aircraft.
[1][3] Power is provided by two engines mounted over the rear of the aircraft, with each having a vertical stabilizer, creating a twin tail arrangement.
[3] According to Airbus, a full-scale development of the MAVERIC would have fuel consumption reduced by 20% compared to single-aisle airliners.
[1][5] The public reveal of the aircraft took place on February 11, 2020, at the Singapore Airshow, where it was announced that the research program would continue until the second quarter of that year.