The future of air combat may not be defined by a single fighter aircraft, but by teams of crewed and uncrewed platforms working together. At the forefront of that shift is the MQ-28 Ghost Bat.
Developed to fly alongside fighter jets as an autonomous teammate, it can extend surveillance, electronic warfare, and strike capabilities while reducing the risks faced by human pilots.
As autonomous systems become increasingly important in modern air forces, the Ghost Bat is helping define what the next generation of aerial warfare could look like. Read on to explore how it came to be and what sets it apart.
At a Glance
| Category: | Details: |
| Type | Uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft |
| Role | Stealth force multiplier; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions; electronic warfare |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Defence Australia |
| Length | 38 feet (11.7 meters) |
| Wingspan | 24 feet (7.3 meters) |
| Range | 2,000 nautical miles+ (2,302 miles/3,704 kilometers) |
| Ceiling | 40,000 feet+ (12,192 meters+) |
| Height | 6.5 feet (2 meters) |
| Weight | 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms) |
| Speed | Up to Mach 0.9 (1,111 kilometers/690 miles per hour) |
| Internal Weapons Bay | 2 AIM-120 AMRAAM or 2 small-diameter bombs |
What Is the MQ-28 Ghost Bat?
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat is an autonomous combat aircraft developed to serve as a “loyal wingman” for crewed military aircraft.
The aircraft is intended to provide affordable combat mass while reducing risks to human operators. It is designed to fly alongside fighters, surveillance aircraft, and other platforms while carrying out missions that range from intelligence gathering to electronic warfare and strike support.
Originally known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat was developed through a partnership between Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
To support the wingman’s expansion into international markets, BDA partnered with Rheinmetall, which has brought together German companies Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz to provide weapons integration, communications, electronic warfare, and mission systems.
Origins and Development
Development of the MQ-28 began in 2019 when BDA and RAAF launched the Airpower Teaming System (ATS), an ambitious effort to develop an autonomous aircraft capable of operating alongside crewed fighters.
The program marked the first military aircraft designed and developed by Boeing in Australia in more than 50 years.
A full-scale prototype was unveiled in 2020, followed by the aircraft’s maiden flight in 2021, making it the first Australian-designed military combat aircraft to fly in more than half a century.
The RAAF officially designated the platform the MQ-28A Ghost Bat in 2022, reflecting its growing role in Australia’s future air combat strategy.
Since then, the program has expanded through successive flight-test campaigns that have validated autonomous teaming, integrated operations with crewed aircraft, modular payload concepts, and successful weapon and live-fire trials.
Recent Block 2 enhancements have further refined the aircraft’s mission systems and payload flexibility, supporting its evolution as one of the world’s leading collaborative combat aircraft.
How the Ghost Bat Works
Key Features
Autonomous Teaming System
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat is designed to operate as a collaborative combat aircraft, using onboard autonomy to fly with crewed fighters while carrying out assigned tasks with minimal operator input.
Rather than replacing human pilots, it acts as an intelligent teammate capable of supporting complex missions under human supervision.
Modular Mission Payloads
A reconfigurable nose section allows the Ghost Bat to be rapidly adapted for different mission sets.
Depending on operational requirements, it can carry intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, or other mission-specific payloads without redesigning the aircraft.
Extended Operational Range
With a range exceeding 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 kilometers/2,302 miles), the Ghost Bat is designed to accompany crewed aircraft over long distances, expanding the reach of air operations while reducing the need to expose manned platforms to high-risk environments.
Open Architecture Design
The aircraft’s open mission systems architecture enables new sensors, software, and payloads to be integrated as operational requirements evolve, allowing capabilities to be upgraded without developing an entirely new platform.
Strengths
The Ghost Bat’s greatest advantage is its ability to multiply combat power without proportionally increasing risk or cost.
By operating alongside crewed fighters, it enables air forces to extend sensor coverage, distribute mission tasks, and increase the number of assets available during complex operations while keeping pilots farther from danger.
Its adaptable architecture also makes the platform well-suited to evolving threats. Rather than being optimized for a single mission, the Ghost Bat can be reconfigured and upgraded as new sensors, electronic warfare systems, and autonomous capabilities become available, extending its operational relevance over time.
Limitations
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat remains in the developmental and flight-testing phase, with many of its intended collaborative combat capabilities still undergoing validation before entering operational service.
Its effectiveness also depends on robust communications, trusted autonomy, and seamless integration with crewed aircraft and command networks.
Maintaining secure data links and resilient software will be critical to ensuring reliable performance in contested electromagnetic environments.
Global Interest and Operational Potential
Although the MQ-28 Ghost Bat has not yet entered operational service, it has become one of the world’s leading collaborative combat aircraft demonstrators, with Australia continuing to lead the program through the RAAF.
Recent examples of its growing international profile include:
- Exercise Valiant Shield 2026: The MQ-28 made its first appearance at the multinational exercise, supporting demonstrations of collaborative combat concepts alongside US and allied forces.
- India-Australia Air Staff Talks (2026): The aircraft was showcased during the 12th Air Staff Talks, highlighting discussions on future aerospace collaboration and autonomous airpower capabilities.
- US-Australia collaboration: Boeing Defence Australia and the US Air Force have worked together to evaluate the MQ-28’s potential as part of broader collaborative combat aircraft initiatives and autonomous teaming concepts.
- Japan-Australia collaboration (2025): Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency and Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group launched joint research to evaluate autonomous teaming technologies, using the MQ-28 as a reference point for future “loyal wingman” concepts and bilateral cooperation.
While each country’s requirements differ, the MQ-28 has emerged as an influential testbed for autonomous teaming, modular mission systems, and crewed-uncrewed collaboration, capabilities expected to play an increasingly important role in future air combat.
Future Outlook
The Ghost Bat’s trajectory has shifted decisively from demonstrator to operational program. Block 2 is described as the operational version of the test Block 1, with 2026 focused on achieving initial operational capability with the RAAF by 2028.
In December 2025, BDA announced the RAAF had ordered seven additional Ghost Bats in a third tranche worth 754 million Australian dollars, six in Block 2 configuration plus the first-ever Block 3 aircraft.
Block 3 is being shaped specifically for international customers, as global air forces seek lower-cost attritable platforms capable of operating alongside fighters such as the F-35 and future sixth-generation aircraft.
Boeing extended the wings by three meters on each side, enabling a roughly 30 percent increase in fuel capacity and translating directly into longer on-station time and deeper combat radius.
As the US Air Force’s own collaborative combat aircraft program accelerates, the Ghost Bat’s maturity and proven teaming architecture position it as one of the few platforms globally that has already validated the operational concepts other programs are still developing.
Whether it secures international customers beyond Australia will depend largely on how Block 3 is priced and what technology-sharing terms Boeing and Canberra are willing to offer — but the program is no longer an experiment. It is a production aircraft with a delivery date.