Live Missile Test Planned for MQ-28 Ghost Bat ‘Loyal Wingman’

Boeing Australia’s unmanned fight aerial automobile will, in keeping with plans, carry out a dwell check launch of an air-to-air missile later in 2025 or in early 2026.

Introduced to the media through the Avalon Australian Worldwide Airshow, the profitable check of an air-to-air missile can be a big step ahead for the collaborative fight plane (CCA) platform. It will likely be the primary time weapons have been built-in onto the MQ-28, which to this point has largely been billed as an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and digital warfare (EW) pressure multiplier for manned plane.

Boeing confirmed that the Ghost Bat has accomplished 102 check flights throughout eight airframes. All the airframes at the moment lively are from Block 1, with two Block 2 plane in manufacturing. Block 2 plane function a slight alteration to the wing design, together with new navigation tools and elevated hardening towards digital warfare assaults. Most of the enhancements have been knowledgeable by the flight testing of Block 1 plane.

By the top of 2025 additionally it is hoped that Ghost Bat missions might be flown alongside F-35A Lightning II and E-7A Wedgetail plane. These plane will in the near future be operated by each the Royal Australian Air Drive (RAAF) and the U.S. Air Drive (USAF), who’re touted as a potential future customer.

The Ghost Bat has been developed by Boeing’s Australian division, working carefully with the RAAF. Official press releases are fast to notice the MQ-28 as being the first Australian-built aircraft in over 50 years. Development started in 2024 on a 9,000 square meter production plant in Toowoomba, Queensland that Boeing Australia hopes might be prepared inside three years.

The manufacturing facility – constructing MQ-28 Ghost Bats designed to assist surveillance and intelligence – is predicted to convey as much as $1bn in financial profit to our state. #qldpol #qldjobs pic.twitter.com/AJzhCBbwby

— Cameron Dick (@camerondickqld) March 26, 2024

Steve Parker, who at the moment serves as interim President and Chief Govt Officer at Boeing Protection, Area & Safety, mentioned the precise sort of air-to-air missile that the check will contain might be introduced at a later date. He additionally hinted at future exams of anti-surface weapons: “We’ll definitely look at air-ground in the future, but our focus priority is air-to-air.”

Including weapons to the MQ-28 brings it nearer according to different CCA platforms just like the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie, which is being evaluated by the U.S. navy. Not solely would these unmanned plane, teaming with manned plane, permit for extra ammunition to be carried, however the unmanned plane could possibly be despatched into high-risk conditions with the intention to ship a payload with out the potential lack of human crew members.

Managing Director of Boeing Australia Amy Checklist confirmed that though future funding for the MQ-28 program just isn’t at the moment secured, the corporate is actively negotiating with the Australian authorities for a brand new spherical of funding.

The RAAF’s plans

The RAAF would possibly quickly present the Australian authorities with the recommendations in regards to the procurement of the uncrewed plane. “Now we have to offer choices to authorities going ahead, and we’ll seemingly do this by the top of the 12 months, however definitely inside the subsequent 12 months,” mentioned Air Vice-Marshal Nicholas Hogan, RAAF Head of Air Drive Functionality.

Contemplating the tight cooperation between the RAAF and Boeing Australia through the growth, it’s protected to say that the Ghost Bat could have a outstanding position within the service’s plans. The RAAF seems to have a superb opinion of the MQ-28, as highlighted by Hogan’s enthusiastic phrases.

“My view of the MQ-28: it’s world class,” mentioned Hogan. “Little doubt in my thoughts, it’s world-leading. MQ-28 might be a really robust contender in any choices we take ahead to authorities.”

As talked about earlier, the Ghost Bat is present process intensive testing, with 102 check flights reported up to now and is offering a big amount of information to the RAAF, permitting the grasp a greater understanding of how this unmanned system works and the way it may be built-in inside the ranks.

✔️ 100 flights!

Our MQ-28 program, in partnership with @AusAirForce, has notched up 100 check flights. Collectively we’re main the way in which in advancing a crucial Collaborative Fight Functionality for Australia and our allies. pic.twitter.com/Ds2OivmGXV

— Boeing Australia (@BoeingAustralia) March 25, 2025

“And what we now have discovered, in flip, the way in which it really works, autonomously and groups with crew platforms, is phenomenal,” Hogan mentioned. “Even when we had been to take a look at one other platform or different platforms, I ought to say, I believe the underlying basis of what we discovered from this platform will stick with us for many years.”

Australia and the U.S. are sharing information in regards to the efficiency of the unmanned techniques, added Hogan, as a part of a trilateral cooperation with Japan on UAVs. The Australian and U.S. applications, nevertheless, have some completely different targets, one in every of them being the latter’s weapons integration to assist NGAD’s air superiority missions whereas the previous will initially concentrate on sensors and testing the combination inside the RAAF’s working idea.

Hogan additional confirmed that this system at the moment doesn’t embrace the combination of weapon techniques on the MQ-28, however he additionally doesn’t exclude it for the future. “I wouldn’t low cost that, however I wouldn’t say it was a particular,” mentioned Hogan.

The service is, actually, nonetheless engaged on the idea of operations of the unmanned plane and learn how to finest make use of it in live performance with its manned fighters and assist plane, and the info from the Ghost Bat check marketing campaign is an enormous a part of that work. “I simply suppose we don’t fairly perceive how a lot this can change Air Drive going ahead,” Hogan mentioned.

It’s nonetheless early for the ultimate resolution by the Australian authorities to obtain an unmanned fight plane and whether or not to proceed with the MQ-28 or one other design, nevertheless Hogan envisions them to be in frontline service inside 10 years. “I might be assured in saying that we’d have autonomous, collaborative platforms as a part of our stock by that stage,” he mentioned.

The Anduril Fury

American protection business newcomer Anduril Industries used the airshow to pitch their CCA providing, internally named the Fury. The airframe traces its roots to Blue Drive Applied sciences, which was acquired by Anduril in 2023. It has received the USAF designation YFQ-44.

In contrast to Ghost Bat, Anduril’s design has but to take flight, although that is deliberate to happen during 2025. David Goodrich, Chief Govt at Anduril Australia and Asia Pacific, acknowledged that the corporate had already participated in some discussions and processes with the RAAF however couldn’t make clear additional particulars.

Fury down below: Anduril’s uncrewed fighter makes abroad debut at Avalon https://t.co/qzuoAOqoMW pic.twitter.com/jmG9l43O53

— FlightGlobal (@FlightGlobal) March 24, 2025

Evaluating the 2 choices with the restricted obtainable specs is troublesome, although we do know that the Ghost Bat is notably bigger than the Fury. The latter is listed as 6.1 meters in size, with a wingspan of 5.2 meters. Ghost Bat, in the meantime, is 11.7 meters in size and spans 7.3 meters. The elevated measurement could present Ghost Bat with a higher endurance, and will surely permit for extra flexibility by way of payload. Nonetheless, the Fury could supply higher pace and maneuverability.

Importantly for Australia’s concerns given Ghost Bat’s pedigree, Anduril has acknowledged that local production would be on the table ought to the nation place an order for his or her product. The corporate has already invested in an Australian production facility for its Ghost Shark autonomous underwater automobile.

Goodrich believes Anduril’s distinctive promoting level is their potential to ship at a decrease price range and a better cadence in comparison with rivals, extremely leveraging the corporate’s expertise in synthetic intelligence (AI) and robotics. “Fury has been designed for simplicity and large-scale manufacturing” he states. “{Hardware} and materials decisions are optimised round price, pace, simplicity and provide chain.”

Talks have taken place with unspecified potential prospects within the Indo-Pacific area, and the corporate can be planning to convey the Fury to the Paris Air Present in June to attach with the European market.

The Air Drive’s first two Collaborative Fight Plane #CCA are fighters, the primary uncrewed plane to hold such a designation. Basic Atomics’ CCA might be referred to as the YFQ–42A and Anduril Industries’ CCA might be dubbed the YFQ–44A. Through @ASForcesMag 🔗👇 pic.twitter.com/1yvdp6MzvJ

— AirPower 2.0 (MIL_STD) (@AirPowerNEW1) March 4, 2025

Within the U.S. the Anduril design will face off towards Basic Atomics’ Gambit, designated YFQ-42. The 2 designs are the finalists for Increment 1 of the USAF’s Collaborative Fight Plane program. The service intends to obtain as much as 150 items on this increment, although it’s unclear whether or not one design of the 2 might be chosen or if a combined fleet might be put into service.

Trade giants Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman weren’t chosen for Increment 1, however are capable of bid for Increment 2. Lockheed Martin believes they over-delivered for Increment 1, offering a ‘gold-plated’ possibility that might have been price prohibitive. For Increment 2 the corporate is concentrating on a more affordable offering which might be carefully linked to F-35 Lightning II developments.