Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat

Overview

The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, previously known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS), is a stealth, multirole, unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is designed as a force multiplier aircraft capable of flying alongside crewed aircraft for support as part of an integrated system (loyal wingman) including space-based capabilities, and performing autonomous missions independently using artificial intelligence. As of October 2024, eight Block 1 vehicles have been built with more than 100 hours of flight testing. Operational tests have taken place at Australia’s RAAF Woomera Test Range Complex approximately one out of every three months, with the aircraft flying one to three sorties daily, including some flights at night. The aircraft has also been operated from RAAF Base Tindal demonstrating the ability to be deployed from a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and also be controlled by an airborne Boeing E-7 Wedgetail. Three additional Block 2 airframes featuring an improved wing and GPS/INS will be produced by 2025. As of 2025, the aircraft are designed and built in Melbourne at Boeing Aerostructures Australia with future production planned in Wellcamp, Toowoomba. The wing is Boeing's largest resin-infused single composite component, featuring electromechanical actuators and controllers for the primary flight control system, and has a modular, swappable mission nose package system. Live fire testing of air-to-air weapons is planned for late 2025. In September 2025, it was confirmed the program was ahead of schedule, and the government was expecting foreign orders.