Sydney, February 19 - The MQ-28 Ghost Bat, Australia's pioneering collaborative combat aircraft, is rapidly advancing toward operational reality as a missile-capable unmanned aircraft designed to transform aerial warfare. Developed by Boeing Defence Australia in close partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), this stealthy, multirole loyal wingman drone teams with manned fighters like the F/A-18F Super Hornet and surveillance platforms such as the E-7A Wedgetail. Its core mission involves extending the reach, persistence, and survivability of crewed assets in contested environments through advanced autonomy and sensor integration.
A landmark milestone occurred in December 2025 when an MQ-28 successfully executed an air-to-air autonomous weapon engagement, firing an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile to destroy an aerial target at the Woomera Test Range. This first-of-its-kind demonstration, conducted under human supervision, validated the platform's combat maturity, including seamless integration with existing RAAF systems and rapid development of mission autonomy using open architectures. The test highlighted the Ghost Bat's ability to maneuver into position, receive targeting data, and engage threats effectively, marking a significant step from prototype experimentation to warfighting potential.
Bolstered by substantial government investment, including a $1.4 billion commitment announced late last year, the program is transitioning to production scale. The RAAF has ordered additional Block 2 aircraft, bringing the projected fleet to 10 operational units by 2028, while a dedicated production facility in Toowoomba, Queensland, nears completion for operations starting in 2027. Current Block 1 prototypes continue extensive flight testing, with Block 2 variants progressing through ground and initial flight evaluations to form the bridge to full capability.
Looking ahead, the evolving Block 3 configuration promises enhanced features such as an extended wingspan for greater range, improved communications, and an internal weapons bay capable of carrying medium-range missiles or small diameter bombs, further boosting stealth and lethality. As the first nation to field an operational collaborative combat aircraft, Australia positions the Ghost Bat as a cornerstone of its long-range deterrence strategy, reinforcing air combat dominance through innovative, domestically produced unmanned technology.