Boeing has revealed that its MQ-28 Ghost Bat is hanging out stateside in a first public look at the drone on US soil, months after the Air Force said it wanted to conduct flight test experiments with the loyal wingman platform. The drone is 38 feet long, can fly more than 2,000 nautical miles (2,300 miles), and uses artificial intelligence to fly independently or in support of crewed aircraft.
The Air Force is interested in the Ghost Bat to study how drones can pair with fighter jets in combat as the service looks to field an initial fleet of 1,000 uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCAs) that can fly alongside fighter jets in battle. The Air Force is asking for $392 million in fiscal 2024 to formally kick off its CCA program, which will provide an affordable mass of drones to augment the capabilities of current fighters.
Raytheon Technologies' RAIVEN Turret 1000 is one such technology, and Boeing is expected to offer the MQ-28 for the CCA program.
The Ghost Bat was originally a member of the Air Force’s Skyborg program, but the prototypes weren’t available in time to transfer from Australia. The Air Force is asking for $392 million in fiscal 2024 to formally kick off its CCA program.