Boeing unveiled extended combat capabilities of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat at the ILA Berlin Air Show in Germany. The new features within the MQ-28 technology roadmap further enhance the platform’s flexibility, range and capacity for global customers. The enhancements include an increased wingspan, which allows the MQ-28 to carry an additional 2,000 pounds of fuel, stores, and mission payloads. It can also be provisioned to carry two AMRAAM missiles or four small diameter bombs (SDBs) internally.
“That additional capacity gives operators freedom to balance payload and endurance to configure for the mission at hand, whether that means carrying extra fuel for longer-range operations, increasing weapons carriage, or any combination of both,” said Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 global program director. “These features, developed in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force, will be progressively released to the fleet through a spiral upgrade program, and are available to interested allied countries.”
Other new MQ-28 capabilities include:
- Significant software development upgrades compliant with Government Reference Architecture – open standards enable operators to tailor weapons, payloads, command and control, and mission autonomy to suit their operational requirements.
- Upgraded modular, missionised nose – provides enhanced payload configuration options and supports insertion of third-party capability.
- Introduction of Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communication links – enabling the MQ-28 custodian to operate from a crewed aircraft, ground station or Naval vessel at unlimited standoff distances.
- Two internal weapons stations with capacity for one AMRAAM missile or two SDBs each side, plus provision for three external weapons stations – providing mission flexibility for combat operations.
“Inclusion of features such as BLOS capability are a direct result of our learnings to date along with feedback from Air Forces as they understand more about the role and integration of CCAs into joint force operations,” said Ferguson.
“The advanced maturity of the MQ-28 systems is what allows us to continually adapt to the changing operational environment and minimise the risk as we transition to operations,” said Amy List, vice president and managing director of Boeing Defence Australia. “Combined with the MQ-28’s confirmed low observability characteristics, and survivability upgrades, these capability enhancements support more flexible mission concepts and further allow Defence customers to distribute operational risk.”
Boeing expands German MQ-28 Ghost Bat industry team
Boeing has welcomed two additional industry partners to expand its German MQ-28 Ghost Bat industry team. They join strategic industry partner Rheinmetall, who will play a lead role in Boeing’s industry team as the systems integration partner of German technology for the MQ-28. The MQ-28 Ghost Bat program, led by Boeing Defence Australia, has grown to include partnerships with a team of leading German aerospace primes – Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz. Boeing and its MQ-28 industry team will support German national requirements, including:
- Diehl Defence will explore weapons integration and technical support. This includes integrating German weapons into the MQ-28 as directed by the customer, providing technical data, product support, and training, and contributing software elements that support air combat chains.
- Rohde & Schwarz will contribute to the integration of mission and communications systems with other Bundeswehr command and weapon systems, ensuring tailored adaptations to meet German national requirements, and providing operational, maintenance, and logistical support for these systems.
Amy List, vice president and managing director, Boeing Defence Australia: “We’re bringing together the best of Australian and German innovation to be able to deliver the MQ-28 to the Luftwaffe by 2029. Welcoming Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz to our team is a significant step forward — together, we’ll collaborate closely on development, testing, delivery and support to ensure maximum flexibility and German customization of this Australian-developed platform.”
Armin Papperger, CEO, Rheinmetall, said: “We are grateful to be acting as a strategic partner to Boeing on this programme. As Germany’s leading supplier to the armed forces, we are taking responsibility within the Ghost Bat Germany team for the seamless integration of this autonomous combat drone into the Bundeswehr’s systems. As a reliable systems manager with a strong industrial base, we guarantee expert support and technological value creation in Germany. Through this strong alliance, we are strengthening next-generation air defence.”
Helmut Rauch, CEO, Diehl Defence, said: “At Diehl Defence, we are excited to join the Team Ghost Bat Germany, led by Boeing Australia, on the approach to offer the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) MQ-28 to our home country
customer. We are keen to contribute our expertise, especially in the field of air-to-ground weapons and guided missiles, as part of the solution for the current and upcoming challenges and requirements of the German armed forces.”
Andreas Domann, Vice President Multidomain Directional Communications Systems Business, Rohde & Schwarz, said: “Rohde & Schwarz is committed to supporting secure, resilient, and interoperable communications for future airpower concepts providing broadband access to the combat cloud with the breakthrough Networked Multipoint Array Communications System (NEMACS). Through this MoU, we look forward to exploring with Boeing how our expertise in communications, data exchange, and mission systems could contribute to future Collaborative Combat Aircraft requirements, including potential MQ-28 opportunities in Germany and Europe.”
For Editorial Inquiries Contact:
Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected]
For Advertising Inquiries Contact:
Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]
Need to manufacture lots of them for austrslias home 🏡 stockpile asap