Boeing, RAAF prove MQ-28 operational effectiveness

Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have successfully completed demonstrations proving the operational viability of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).

The RAAF-defined demonstrations required the MQ-28 to execute a series of operationally relevant missions designed to supplement and enhance capabilities of existing crewed platforms.

The uncrewed MQ-28 platforms and digital versions have now completed 150 hours and 20,000+ hours of virtual testing. The Capability Demonstration 2025 missions were completed in early June, four months ahead of schedule, and validated:

• autonomous behaviours and mission execution

• multi-ship operations to provide combat mass

• deployment operations to RAAF Base Tindal

• teaming with an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft, and

• data fusion and sharing data between multiple MQ-28 aircraft and transmission of that data to a crewed platform.

MQ-28 is a unique autonomous capability designed to complement the find, fix, track and target elements of air combat with autonomous behaviours and reduced risk to crewed platforms.

"The RAAF set the task of proving the first four steps in the Air Combat chain for the MQ-28 and we have accomplished that sooner than anticipated," said Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 Global program director.

"Completing this work early allows us to accelerate the next phases of development – engage and assess – with an air-to-air weapon shot planned for later this year or in early 2026.The demonstrations have proven the maturity of MQ-28's capabilities and the utility of CCA's and their application to the future force mix," Ferguson said.

The capabilities validated throughout 2025 will be incorporated into the Block 2 aircraft now in production, forming the basis of an initial operational capability for the RAAF and allied partners.