The Australian Government will contribute an additional $1.4 billion to transition the Ghost Bat from a developmental program into an operational capability. Photo: Screenshot.
After a six-year joint development program, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft program has been given the go-ahead to enter production.
Developed by Boeing Defence Australia and jointly funded by the Royal Australian Air Force, the announcement that it will proceed to an official program of record for the RAAF was made in Sydney (9 December) by Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Stephen Chappell and Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy.
The announcement says the Australian Government will contribute an additional $1.4 billion to transition the Ghost Bat from a developmental program into an operational capability.
It follows a recent successful test in which a Ghost Bat teamed with an E-7A Wedgetail airborne command and control aircraft and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter to successfully fire an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile and shoot down a fighter-representative Phoenix target drone in flight at Woomera in remote South Australia.
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat development program is Australia’s first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) technology development and arguably leads the world in similar programs.
The Ghost Bat was derived from Boeing Phantom Works’ Australian team’s locally developed Airpower Teaming System (ATS), a small fighter-sized autonomous aircraft originally designed to operate in conjunction with manned systems as a ‘loyal wingman’. It was unveiled at the 2019 Avalon Air Show, where it was announced that an initial three prototypes had been ordered.
The ATS was initially designed to carry payloads augmenting sensor, electronic warfare, or other capabilities carried by crewed systems, including combat aircraft or high-value assets such as the P-8A Poseidon or E-7A Wedgetail.
But the Loyal Wingman concept has evolved into that of a CCA, and it has now been confirmed that future MQ-28s will likely be armed with air-to-air or air-to-surface weapons.
That evolution will see Ghost Bat become very much an armed extension of crewed combat aircraft it will operate with, especially as a forward element of larger aircraft packages, where it will likely adopt some of the higher-risk elements of a mission.
Following a successful first flight of an ATS at Woomera in February 2021, additional Loyal Wingmen air vehicles were produced to take the total of Block 1 aircraft to eight.
In an official naming ceremony at RAAF Base Amberley in March 2022, the system was given the MQ-28A Ghost Bat name and designation.
As a part of the Government’s 2023 Defence Strategic Review (DSR), the Commonwealth signed a CCA development project arrangement with the US Air Force in March 2023. As a part of this, it has been reported that two Ghost Bats have been sent to the US for evaluation, and Boeing has circulated photos of an MQ-28A at a test site in Missouri.
In February 2024, the Commonwealth added $400 million to fund three air vehicles in a ‘Block 2 enhanced design’ configuration to support ongoing test and evaluation work at Woomera.
The government said Tuesday’s announcement of additional funding and the successful live-fire test “reinforces Australia’s position at the forefront of CCA technology globally”.
The contract will see Boeing produce six operational Block 2 MQ-28A aircraft and begin development of an enhanced Block 3 prototype to lay the foundation for an operational air combat capability within the RAAF.
Investment in uncrewed and autonomous systems is a key priority of the 2024 National Defence Strategy.
Collaborative combat aircraft like the MQ-28A Ghost Bat deliver asymmetric surveillance and air combat capabilities, increasing the lethality and survivability of existing crewed platforms.
The Ghost Bat program supports more than 440 high-skilled jobs nationwide, including roles at Boeing Defence Australia and across more than 200 Australian suppliers – 70 per cent of program expenditure is directed to Australian industry.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia is now at the forefront of efforts to develop and field autonomous CCAs.
“This landmark demonstration proves the MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a world-leading collaborative combat aircraft made and designed in Australia,” he said.
“The successful weapons demonstration underlines its growing potential to deliver an operational capability for the Royal Australian Air Force.”
Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said the future of collaborative air combat is right here, right now.
“Today’s announcement highlights that Australia is leading the world in the development of collaborative combat aircraft,” he said.
“The Ghost Bat transforms a single fighter jet into a formidable team—capable not only of surveillance but also of engaging adversaries. This delivers a vital layer of protection for our aviators, who remain our most valuable asset.
“The MQ-28A program is also building a stronger sovereign defence industry and increasing Australia’s resilience with over 70 per cent of this investment remaining on our shores, providing high-tech, high-paying jobs for Australians.”
The aircraft will be assembled at a new facility at Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport in Queensland.
The program currently supports about 350 jobs from Boeing Defence Australia and more than 70 suppliers, including Saab Australia, SRC Australia, B&R Enclosures, Coastal Aviation, BAE Systems Australia, Rosebank Engineering, Microelectronic Technologies, Ferra Engineering, AME Systems, Allied Data Systems, Lovitt Technologies Australia and Marand Precision Engineering.
