German Protection Minister Boris Pistorius mentioned the MQ-28 Ghost Bat is among the many uncrewed plane being evaluated to assist the Eurofighter Storm fighter fleet.
Germany’s protection minister Boris Pistorius mentioned throughout his go to to Australia on Mar. 27, 2026, that Berlin is contemplating Boeing Defence Australia’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat Collaborative Fight Plane (CCA), The Australian and different native retailers mentioned. The Ghost Bat would be a part of numerous drones being evaluated to work along with the German Eurofighter Storm fleet.
Talking to journalists previous to a briefing on the fight drone at RAAF Base Amberley, in keeping with a replica of the report in The Australian shared by Senator James Paterson, the Shadow Minister for Defence, Pistorius mentioned: “We’re evaluating, now we have our specialists, now we have our corporations there, and we [will] resolve then, in time.” He mentioned Germany wanted each “excessive finish drones just like the Ghost Bat” and “low-cost alternate options like these being utilized by Iran and Russia.” “We’d like an affordable and wholesome image of each,” Pistorius added.
This is able to make the Ghost Bat the third CCA being thought of by Germany, with the others being the CA-1 Europa by German protection start-up Helsing, and the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie. The latter was pitched to the German Air Power (Luftwaffe) after Kratos and Airbus Protection and Area introduced a tie-up in July 2025, a deal which may pave the best way for provides to different European nations.
At Parliament Home, Minister Pistorius met 🇦🇺 Deputy PM Marles and Defence Business Minister Conroy.
They mentioned nearer co-operation on armaments and area. A press release of intent was signed to advance an Early Warning System towards potential threats.🎥: Bundeswehr/Bock pic.twitter.com/os0zZPrRuC
— German Embassy AUS (@GermanyInOz) March 26, 2026
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat reached a significant milestone on Dec. 8, 2025, when it performed its first live-fire take a look at of an AIM-120C Superior Medium-Vary Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) at RAAF Base Woomera in South Australia, whereas leveraging sensor, detection, management and steerage information from the E-7A and F/A-18F. The Australian authorities subsequently additionally dedicated an extra $930 million funding for the Ghost Bat program, with the primary items of the serially produced UCAV anticipated this 12 months.
The Australian-designed and manufactured MQ-28A Ghost Bat has marked one other main milestone at 📍 RAAF Base Woomera, SA – changing into one of many first Collaborative Fight Plane (CCA) to efficiently have interaction an aerial goal with an air-to-air missile in an operationally related… pic.twitter.com/zdcAyH6L6p
— Defence Australia (@DefenceAust) December 10, 2025
Different CCA applications in Europe
In direction of that finish, Airbus additionally introduced on Mar. 13 that it’s making ready the primary two Valkyries it obtained from Kratos with European mission programs, electronics and flight autonomy software program, at its facility in Manching, close to Munich. The Uncrewed Collaborative Fight Plane (UCCA) is anticipated to fly with Germany’s Eurofighter Storm fighters later this 12 months.
One other CCA in Europe that has been progressing quick is the Turkish Kizilelma. After the LBA Methods three way partnership between Leonardo and developer Baykar, the Kizilelma is poised to show reside Manned Unmanned-Teaming (MUM-T) assessments with the M-346 in mid-2026, Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani mentioned in a press convention final week.
Ghost Bat Begins 👻🦇 The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is the primary army plane to be designed and in-built Australia in additional than 50 years. This uncrewed aerial automobile is designed to fly as a companion with crewed @AusAirForce platforms, serving as a pathfinder for the combination of… pic.twitter.com/vttQq9MLa4
— Defence Australia (@DefenceAust) January 4, 2026
The Kizilelma was the primary UCAV to fireside a missile, the Gökdoğan beyond-visual vary air-to-air missile, a month earlier than the MQ-28, in November 2025. It should even be famous that the CA-1 Europa has nonetheless not flown, not like the Ghost Bat, Kizilelma or the Valkyrie, the primary two of which have a number of prototypes and accomplished dozens of take a look at flights.
Nevertheless, this seek for a brand new CCA comes amid an unsure way forward for the sixth technology Future Fight Air System (FCAS) being pursued by France, Germany and Spain, with large variations within the workshare agreements and mission management between Dassault, Airbus and Indra. With Germany doubling down its F-35 plans with 15 extra plane, Spain not contemplating the stealth fighter any longer, and France’s Dassault Aviation pushing with its personal FCAS and the Rafale F5, it might be attention-grabbing to see how these 4 compete within the European market.
Two MQ-28 Ghost Bats have been on full show on the 📍 Woomera Vary Advanced, participating in a take a look at flight throughout a functionality demonstration.
The Ghost Bat uncrewed plane is designed to fly as a companion with crewed @AusAirForce platforms, serving as a pathfinder for integrating… pic.twitter.com/2gFI0riY1Z
— Defence Australia (@DefenceAust) September 9, 2025
Germany within the MQ-28A Ghost Bat
In keeping with BFMTV, Canberra is “contemplating a switch of expertise settlement” to fabricate the Ghost Bat in Europe, with German protection main Rheinmetall within the working for producing the plane. Politico additional quoted Pistorius throughout a media interplay at Australia’s Nationwide Press Membership, saying the Ghost Bat was “into consideration,” and suggesting that Germany desires to solid a large internet with extra choices on the selection of product.
Pistorius is on an Indo-Pacific tour, and the revelation of the curiosity within the Ghost Bat additionally comes at a time of a widening diplomatic trans-Atlantic gulf between the U.S. and its European allies. Saying Germany is shifting away from locking in long-term contracts and testing some programs earlier than increasing orders, Politico additional quoted Pistorius: “We examined what they actually provide – not simply papers or movies.” Germany would then transfer “step-by-step” after evaluating every programs’ efficiency.
Flight of the Ghost Bat! ✈️👻🦇
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat achieved first flight exterior of Woomera Coaching space throughout Train Carlsbad.
Ghost Bat is the primary army plane designed and in-built Australia in additional than 50 years. #YourADF pic.twitter.com/mO3Y0upyB6
— Defence Australia (@DefenceAust) June 21, 2025
Pistorious’s inclination in the direction of the MQ-28A will increase Boeing Protection Australia’s personal plans to safe a international buyer to unfold out prices. The U.S. Air Power had beforehand mentioned it had acquired a single airframe for testing, however it’s unclear if the drone is being thought of for its CCA program.
The Ghost Bat can also be more likely to be a contender for the U.S. Navy’s CCA mission, provided that the plane was seen within the background of an official Dec. 6, 2025, video about Secretary Pete Hegseth’s go to to Naval Air Station Level Mugu, California. This hinted that the service is probably evaluating the plane to find out the necessities for its CCAs.
Pistorius, whereas talking alongside his Australian counterpart Richard Marles, additionally hoped to extend German and Australian protection industrial cooperation. The Australian named collaboration in “area based mostly threats” as one of many areas, including that German arms firm TDW additionally signed a dedication to supplying and sustaining warheads for 2 varieties of missiles produced in Australia.
Europeanized XQ-58A Valkyrie
The assertion by Airbus concerning the first two XQ-58A Valkyries it obtained from Kratos mentioned that earlier than their maiden flight with a “sovereign European mission system,” scheduled later this 12 months, Airbus is equipping the Unmanned Collaborative Fight Plane (UCCA) with the the Multiplatform Autonomous Reconfigurable and Safe (MARS) system. MARS options the AI-enabled MindShare software program, “which not solely replaces the lacking pilot, however can also be able to coordinating whole mission teams by being distributed throughout many manned and uncrewed platforms.”
Could we current? That is the Valkyrie.
Airbus is working at full throttle to supply the German Air Power an operational Uncrewed Collaborative Fight Plane (UCCA) system by 2029. In Manching, close to Munich, the corporate is presently making ready the primary two Valkyries it acquired… pic.twitter.com/eJ4aUpvvk4
— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) March 13, 2026
The Airbus assertion added additional: “To allow the Eurofighter to behave as a ‘command plane’ with cross-platform connectivity efficiency, Airbus and Rafael are enhancing the Litening 5 Superior Concentrating on Pod, already contracted for the Eurofighter fleet, with a connectivity functionality. Together with minor updates to the Eurofighter’s avionics, these enhancements will considerably improve the plane’s lethality in fight.”
