MQ-28 Ghost Bat

The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, originally designated the Airpower Teaming System (ATS), is a stealth, multirole unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is the first combat aircraft designed and developed in Australia in over 50 years. The program is a sovereign Australian initiative, with lead development conducted by the RAAF. Production is centered at Boeing Aerostructures Australia in Melbourne, with a 9,000-square-meter factory complex under construction in Wellcamp, Toowoomba. The Australian government has committed to funding 10 aircraft for the RAAF, in addition to three prototypes retained by Boeing.

The first prototype achieved power-on in March 2020 and was rolled out in May 2020. Following engine ground tests in September 2020 and taxi trials at RAAF Base Amberley, the aircraft conducted its first flight at RAAF Base Woomera on February 27, 2021. By October 2024, eight Block 1 vehicles had completed more than 100 hours of flight testing. Operational testing at the RAAF Woomera Test Range Complex included sorties conducted at a frequency of one to three per day, including night operations.

The MQ-28 has a length of 11.7 meters, a wingspan of 7.3 meters, and a range of 3,700 km. It is powered by a single commercial-off-the-shelf turbofan engine, enabling high subsonic speeds to maintain formation with crewed fighter aircraft. The airframe features a modular mission nose package that can be swapped to support roles including combat, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. The wing is a resin-infused single composite component, and the aircraft's stealth characteristics are achieved through airframe shaping rather than radiation-absorbent material (RAM) coatings. Avionics and flight control systems are provided by BAE Systems Australia and Saab AB, with the latter supplying the electromechanical actuators and communications systems.

The aircraft utilizes artificial intelligence to perform autonomous missions or operate as a "loyal wingman" under the control of crewed platforms such as the F-35A, F/A-18F, and E-7A Wedgetail. In June 2024, the first RAAF remote systems pilot completed training to operate the platform. While primarily designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, the aircraft can be armed. On December 8, 2025, an MQ-28A conducted its first live firing, destroying a Phoenix target drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM. During this engagement, the MQ-28 shared data with a Super Hornet and received firing authorization from an E-7 Wedgetail, providing mid-course guidance to the missile after launch.

Main Variants

• Block 1: Initial developmental test assets used for the first 100 hours of flight testing.
• Block 2: Operational test assets featuring an improved wing, updated wiring for maintainability, and a new GPS/inertial navigation system.
• Block 3: An enhanced prototype variant currently under development.