The MQ-28 will be part of the flight operations of Train Valiant Protect 2026 to refine ways, methods, and procedures, and consider its contribution as a drive multiplier.
The Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) introduced that the MQ-28 Ghost Bat will participate within the ongoing Train Valiant Protect 2026. The plane is predicted to fly along with crewed fighter platforms, offering a chance to refine ways, methods, and procedures throughout a wide range of missions, together with defensive and offensive counter air missions.
Among the many objectives of the deployment is the evaluation of the plane’s contribution as a drive multiplier that extends the attain, consciousness, and survivability of crewed platforms in contested environments, explains PACAF. It’s unclear if the Collaborative Fight Plane (CCA) shall be straight managed by the crews of fighter jets or operators on different platforms.
The press launch famous that the MQ-28 concerned is a manufacturing consultant take a look at plane. The photographs present additionally it is outfitted with an Infra-Purple Search and Monitor (IRST) system, with the caption figuring out the deployment location as Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
“The way forward for airpower is a partnership between our best property: our expert warfighters and the expertise that empowers them,” stated U.S. Air Pressure Maj. Daniel Pesich, Experimental Operations Unit collaborative fight plane detachment officer in cost. “By advancing human-machine teaming, we’re growing our energy projection whereas constructing a extra resilient, succesful, and deadly joint drive.”
This new milestone follows the primary flights of the MQ-28 within the U.S., which Boeing introduced in Might 2026. Up to now, the uncrewed plane accomplished three operational flight checks on the Level Mugu Sea Vary at U.S. Naval Base Ventura County, Level Mugu, California, validating autonomous operations and demonstrating fast deployment and sustained operations from an allied location.
“The Division of the Air Pressure stays steadfast in its dedication to the moral improvement of those programs, making certain {that a} human stays within the loop for all important choices,” stated PACAF within the newest press launch. “These platforms are designed to extend sortie technology with much less pressure on upkeep and personnel, which in the end makes our whole drive extra deadly.”
Valiant Protect
Valiant Protect is a biennial, multinational, joint train centered on integrating the joint drive in a multi-domain atmosphere. The train brings collectively forces from the U.S. Air Pressure, Navy, Marine Corps, Military, and Area Pressure, alongside regional allies and companions, to coach throughout an enormous geographic space within the Pacific.
First established in 2006, Valiant Protect has developed into one of many largest and most refined navy workout routines within the Pacific. This displays the rising emphasis on joint and mixed operations in response to an more and more contested safety atmosphere.
“Valiant Protect demonstrates our enduring dedication to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Adm. Steve Koehler, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet. “Exercising superior multidomain capabilities with our allies ensures we proceed to seamlessly innovate and function collectively, undertaking fight energy collectively and prevail over any problem – collectively.”
The train sometimes options a variety of property, together with fighter plane, bombers, aerial refueling tankers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, naval floor combatants, submarines, amphibious forces, and superior command-and-control programs. “This routine coaching fosters real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces by way of detecting, finding, monitoring, and interesting items at sea, within the air, on land, and in our on-line world in response to a spread of mission areas,” explains PACAF.
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat – Boeing Airpower Teaming System
Designed by Boeing Defence Australia for the RAAF as a multirole system able to working along with crewed plane, the Ghost Bat was initially often called the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS). The event began in 2013, with the prototype unveiled for the primary time in the course of the 2019 version of the Australian Airshow and the maiden flight on Feb. 27, 2021, on the Woomera Vary Complicated in Southern Australia.
The multirole unmanned platform has a 1.5 cubic meter nostril that may maintain interchangeable payloads for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), aerial radar surveillance, EW/ELINT sensors and different assault munitions. The plane has been described as a next-generation Loyal Wingman, whose improvement concerned 55 Australian corporations and, as of Feb. 2024, had acquired $600 million in funding.
In accordance to Boeing, the Ghost Bat employs “AI (Synthetic Intelligence) to work as a wise workforce with present navy plane to enrich and prolong airborne missions.” The dimensions of a small, lightweight class fighter, with aspect air intakes, cranked-kite wings and canted V-tails, the MQ-28 can fly for almost 3,200 km and “fly independently” with its AI.
Renders from Boeing have proven the Ghost Bat flying with help and particular mission plane just like the E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C plane and the F-15EX. In response to Ferguson, “throughout a typical mission, a launch and restoration operator […] would oversee the plane because it takes flight.”
“It might then be handed off to a crewed plane, similar to an E-7A, F-35A or F/A-18F, whose crew duties it to carry out, for instance, an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission,” added Ferguson whereas explaining the idea of operations. The MUM-T (Manned Unmanned Teaming) may not essentially happen in shut formation, but it surely may work even with the plane very far aside over dozens of kilometers, relying on mission necessities.
The closely stealth-oriented design has additionally been proven in renderings with three totally different nostril sections, with one integrating an IRST (Infrared Search and Monitor) sensor. Based mostly on their look, the opposite two may probably be meant for ISR and EW/ELINT roles, the latter involving finding, jamming or overwhelming adversary floor radars.
The MQ-28 may additionally serve in an escort position for high-value help property just like the E-7A AEW&C plane or KC-30 aerial refuelers. It’s nonetheless not recognized if the unmanned plane is considered as an attritable system used for enhancing manned platforms’ survivability. Following the mission’s completion, “the plane could be handed again to the launch and restoration operator to supervise touchdown, deceleration and full cease of the car,” Ferguson stated.
The uncrewed plane reached some essential milestones within the final 12 months. Amongst these was the June 2025 take a look at which noticed an E-7 Wedgetail controlling two MQ-28s in a mission in opposition to a simulated airborne goal.
In December 2025, Boeing disclosed the first live-fire take a look at of the MQ-28 with an AIM-120 Superior Medium-Vary Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). On that event, the plane teamed up with an E-7 Wedgetail and an F/A-18F Tremendous Hornet of the Royal Australian Air Pressure (RAAF).
The RAAF described it as “an indication of a Collaborative Fight Plane (CCA) using an air-to-air weapon in opposition to an aerial goal in an operationally related situation.” It’s doubtless the Ghost Bat acted as an off-board weapons launch platform, leveraging sensor, detection, management and steering information from the crewed platforms.
In Might 2026, Boeing disclosed that the MQ-28 Ghost Bat is now flying within the U.S., in what has been outlined as the primary flights overseas. Beforehand the plane flew solely in Australia, the place the MQ-28 was developed and constructed by Boeing Australia.
Up to now, the uncrewed plane accomplished three operational flight checks on the Level Mugu Sea Vary at U.S. Naval Base Ventura County, Level Mugu, California. The corporate didn’t disclose when these flights have been performed.
Nonetheless, it was already recognized that no less than one MQ-28 was at NAS Ventura County, because the plane was clearly seen in a video launched after the U.S. Secretary of Struggle Pete Hegseth to the set up in December 2025. It’s doable, nonetheless, that two plane are presently there as two totally different plane may be seen within the December 2025 and Might 2026 movies.
