Aviation News – Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have successfully completed early demonstrations of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, marking a milestone in autonomous combat aviation and future airpower strategy.
The series of Capability Demonstration 2025 missions concluded in early June, four months ahead of schedule. The tests confirmed the aircraft’s ability to execute autonomous missions, operate in multi-ship formations, deploy from RAAF Base Tindal, and integrate with the E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft. Boeing reported more than 150 live flying hours and over 20,000 hours of virtual testing to date.
The Ghost Bat, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), is designed to enhance crewed platforms by carrying out high-risk elements of air combat. It demonstrated secure data fusion and transmission between multiple uncrewed aircraft and manned platforms, reinforcing its role as a force multiplier in future operations.
“The RAAF set the task of proving the first four steps in the Air Combat chain for the MQ-28 and we have accomplished that sooner than anticipated,” said Glen Ferguson, Boeing’s MQ-28 Global Program Director. “Completing this work early allows us to accelerate the next phases of development – engage and assess – with an air-to-air weapon shot planned for later this year or in early 2026.”
The validated capabilities will now be incorporated into Block 2 aircraft already in production, forming the foundation for an initial operational capability with the RAAF and allied partners. Analysts say this step positions the Ghost Bat as a cornerstone of emerging mixed force structures, combining crewed and autonomous platforms.
With its early achievements, the MQ-28 program signals a shift toward more autonomous operations in future air combat. Boeing and the RAAF are advancing development at an accelerated pace, with further tests set to shape how allied forces deploy collaborative combat aircraft in the coming decade.
Photo Boeing
