Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have validated interoperability with a successful airborne mission using two uncrewed MQ-28s controlled from a E-7A Wedgetail at Woomera Test Range.
The mission involved targeting an airborne object with two MQ-28 Ghost Bat aircraft in flight, alongside a simulated third aircraft, all managed from an E-7A Wedgetail command centre in the sky.
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A sole operator aboard the E-7A directed the uncrewed MQ-28s, showcasing their potential to shield crewed military assets.
This exercise is part of a sequence of planned activities involving RAAF equipment set to occur throughout the year, known as Capability Demonstration 2025 (CD25).
The initiative aims to validate the MQ-28’s operational capabilities and assess its integration with manned RAAF systems.
Upcoming demonstrations will feature collaborative manoeuvres with other military assets such as the F/A-18F and F-35 fighters.
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By GlobalDataBoeing MQ-28 Global Programs director Glen Ferguson said: “It not only validated a key element of the MQ-28 concept of operations, but also how collaborative combat aircraft can expand and enhance the role of the E-7A to meet future force requirements.
“It is another tangible proof point of the maturity of our programme.”
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is an autonomous aircraft designed and developed in Australia in collaboration with Boeing Defence Australia.
These aircraft are uncrewed aerial vehicles capable of working alongside crewed aircraft to undertake tasks traditionally performed by fighter jets.
This MQ-28A Ghost Bat project sustains 350 specialised jobs within the country, including positions at Boeing Defence Australia and over 200 local suppliers.
The Albanese Government has allocated A$1bn ($651m) towards this venture, marking the first time in over half a century that a military combat aircraft has been designed, produced, and engineered domestically.
According to the 2024 National Defence Strategy, the Australian Government prioritises investment in unmanned and autonomous systems, with plans to allocate more than A$10bn towards drone technologies, including at least A$4.3bn for uncrewed aerial systems.
Australia Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said: “This is an important step forward in the development of this world-leading, Australian designed and made autonomous aircraft.
“The Ghost Bat has the potential to turn a single fighter jet into a fighting team, with advanced sensors that are like hundreds of eyes in the sky.
“Autonomous collaborative platforms enhance the integrated force’s ability to deliver a strategy of denial, by increasing the lethality and survivability with a reduced risk to our forces.”
In April 2025, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) completed trials of Curtiss-Wright’s ESCO Mobile Aircraft Arresting Systems (MAAS) at RAAF Base Amberley.
