Boeing Defence Australia accomplished a take a look at marketing campaign demonstrating the MQ-28A’s cooperative capabilities along with RAAF crewed platforms.
Boeing Defence Australia introduced on Sep. 5, 2025, the profitable completion of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat’s Functionality Demonstration 2025 take a look at marketing campaign with the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Drive). The testing was performed between April and June, proving the MQ-28A’s operational viability 4 months forward of schedule.
We reported about these exams beforehand right here at The Aviationist. As Boeing has now famous as soon as once more, these exams set the stage for the primary air-to-air weapon shot deliberate for later this 12 months or early-2026. “The capabilities validated all through 2025 might be included into the Block 2 plane now in manufacturing, forming the idea of an preliminary operational functionality for the RAAF and allied companions,” the corporate added.
The Block 2 point out refers back to the new variant of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat CCA (Collaborative Fight Plane), which the corporate already talked about was in manufacturing in January 2025. The primary of the brand new plane is anticipated to start out testing by the tip of the 12 months.
The successive levels of the testing are in step with earlier stories and statements that outlined this very roadmap within the MQ-28A program’s development. The corporate has now listed and described 5 of the mission units that validated “the collaborative fight plane functionality in a number of eventualities aligned to RAAF mission necessities.”
These are:
Autonomous behaviours and mission execution;
Multi-ship operations to supply fight mass;
Deployment operations to RAAF Base Tindal;
Teaming with an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and management plane;
Knowledge fusion and sharing information between a number of MQ-28 plane and transmission of that information to a crewed platform.
✅Discover ✅Repair ✅Observe ✅Goal
Tasked by the @AusAirForce, we proved the MQ‑28 can execute these important air‑fight steps — forward of schedule. Collaborative fight plane flying with crewed platforms means higher menace consciousness, quicker selections and safer crews.
Extra:… pic.twitter.com/tX50cs3Jz5
— Boeing Australia (@BoeingAustralia) September 5, 2025
The workout routines intimately
Two identified workout routines could be assumed to have coated the abovementioned 5 testing areas. One concerned two MQ-28As teaming up with an E-7A Wedgetail, conducting a mission towards a simulated goal in an undated and undisclosed drill the corporate introduced on Jun. 16, 2025.
The opposite, known as Train Carlsbad and performed in early April, noticed the RAAF working the MQ-28A from RAAF Base Tindal within the Northern Territory. This marked the primary time it operated outdoors the devoted Woomera Coaching Space in Southern Australia.
Boeing and the Australian Division of Defence first revealed details about this drill between Jun. 20 and Jun. 25. The pictures, movies and outline of Train Carlsbad additionally revealed just a few different fascinating sides.
These included the Ghost Bat, MQ-4C Triton ISR drone and an RAAF F-35A Lightning II captured collectively whereas being parked and taxing. Thus we concluded that the official statements, photos, the image captions and the context of the train have been in need of an specific affirmation that the Ghost Bat might have interacted with the F-35A and the MQ-4C within the air.
The undisclosed interplay might have concerned establishing elementary communication, coordination and information linking protocols. Then, we additionally famous how the AI-enabled autonomous drone seen in that video had a full dark-grey paint scheme, in comparison with the one with a number of orange components seen to date on the Ghost Bats. Of the eight Block 1 Ghost Bats which have been reported to be produced, as much as 4 have been photographed with this livery.
The true MQ-28 platforms and digital variations have now accomplished 150 flight hours and 20,000+ hours of digital testing, respectively.
Block 2 variant
As The Aviationist reported, the Block 2 Ghost Bats is not going to have important airframe modifications. They might lose the dogtooth wing sported on the Block 1s, whereas different upgrades would contain maintenance-friendly inner elements, and a brand new International Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation System (INS).
We’ve accomplished our first flight at an operational Air Drive base with the assist of @AusAirForce, testing our capability to deploy and fly from unfamiliar environments.
📷 F-35A Lightning II taxis previous MQ-28 at RAAF Base Tindal.
Extra: pic.twitter.com/qRjI7OcJXV
— Boeing Australia (@BoeingAustralia) June 25, 2025
The Block 1’s low-observability-optimized design has additionally been proven with three completely different nostril sections in computerized illustrations, with one sporting what looks as if a FLIR/IRST (Ahead-Trying Infrared/Infrared Search and Observe). The Ghost Bat’s 1.5 cubic meter nostril can carry interchangeable ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), aerial radar surveillance and EW/ELINT payloads.
MQ-28A function and purpose
The speedy progress of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat comes as GA-ASI flew its personal YFQ-42A CCA for the U.S. Air Drive. The service was beforehand reported as a possible buyer of the Australian platform, though the plane didn’t find yourself within the CCA Increment 1 program. Nevertheless, an acquisition by the U.S. would unfold out the prices and ease logistics due to the upper variety of plane produced.
Flight of the Ghost Bat! ✈️👻🦇
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat achieved first flight outdoors of Woomera Coaching space throughout Train Carlsbad.
Ghost Bat is the primary army plane designed and inbuilt Australia in additional than 50 years. #YourADF pic.twitter.com/mO3Y0upyB6
— Defence Australia (@DefenceAust) June 21, 2025
The RAAF’s formal idea below the Airpower Teaming System envisions the employment of the MC-55A Peregrine, E-7A Wedgetail and multirole plane just like the F-35A Lightning II and the E/A-18G Growler as a mixed community of multirole strike and electromagnetic sensing plane. The Ghost Bat was later revealed as a key aspect on this community, with idea illustrations from Boeing exhibiting the CCA flying with the E-7A Wedgetail, beside the F-15EX and the EA-18G Growler.
Boeing beforehand mentioned the AI-enabled Ghost Bat can “work as a sensible workforce with current army plane to enrich and prolong airborne missions.” It may additionally serve in an escort function for high-value assist belongings such because the E-7A or KC-30 aerial refueler.
The MQ-28A is supposed to “to workforce with crewed platforms performing mission roles and obligations typical of fighter plane, complementing and lengthening airborne missions whereas growing situational consciousness and survivability,” an earlier Australian Division of Defence beforehand mentioned.
In its newest assertion, Boeing described the MQ-28A as “a novel autonomous functionality designed to enrich the discover, repair, observe and goal components of air fight with autonomous behaviours and decreased threat to crewed platforms.”
The DSR acknowledges the significance of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat to our air area.
As the primary army fight plane in 50 years to be designed, engineered & manufactured in 🇦🇺 #AusAirForce recognises how our #STEMProfessionals are enhancing Air Drive functionality.#scienceweek pic.twitter.com/3wsTrPeYtw
— Air Marshal Stephen Chappell (@CAF_Australia) August 16, 2023
“The RAAF set the duty of proving the primary 4 steps within the Air Fight chain for the MQ-28 – and we now have completed that earlier than anticipated,” mentioned Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 International program director.
The corporate is now accelerating to the following section of an air-to-air weapon employment take a look at deliberate for later this 12 months or in early 2026. “The demonstrations have confirmed the maturity of MQ-28’s capabilities and the utility of CCA’s and their utility to the longer term pressure combine,” Ferguson added.
