Autonomous loyal wingman UAV developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force. Uses AI to operate independently or alongside crewed aircraft for force multiplication.
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat represents Australia's most ambitious indigenous aerospace program in decades, with Boeing Australia contributing significant local engineering content to reduce foreign dependency. The aircraft features a modular mission system bay that can be reconfigured for different mission roles including electronic attack, ISR, and strike. It is designed to operate in denied airspace environments where its autonomous decision-making reduces the need for continuous datalink communication with crewed controllers.
First flight April 2021; ongoing RAAF Advanced Development Program trials
Boeing (BA) is the primary contractor through its Australian subsidiary, though this program represents a small fraction of Boeing's defense revenue. Raytheon (RTX) provides sensor payloads.