MQ-28 Ghost Bat

Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat is an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft developed in Australia with the Royal Australian Air Force. Its open-system architecture and removable missionised nose allow operators to change sensors and payloads without redesigning the whole aircraft. The 12,000-pound-class airframe is designed for speeds up to Mach 0.9, flight above 40,000 feet and a range beyond 2,000 nautical miles.

The programme has progressed beyond a static prototype: MQ-28 completed its first flight in March 2021, passed 100 flights in March 2025 and subsequently demonstrated multi-aircraft control from an E-7A Wedgetail. Boeing and the RAAF have also conducted an autonomous airborne weapon engagement and international flight tests from a United States naval range. The platform supports distributed sensing, tactical early warning and other crewed-uncrewed mission configurations.