Two MQ-28 Combat Drones Controlled by One Operator Aboard Australian E-7A Radar Aircraft for First Time
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On June 16, 2025, two in-flight MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones were controlled for the first time by a single operator onboard an E-7A Wedgetail, marking a pivotal milestone in autonomous combat aircraft integration. As reported by Boeing, this unprecedented demonstration comes amid growing demands for advanced interoperability between crewed and uncrewed assets. The trial showcased how a single operator can manage multiple drones from an airborne early warning and control platform, setting the stage for more agile and survivable force structures. This step forward holds significant promise for the Royal Australian Air Force and its partners as they adapt to complex security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
With one operator directing multiple Ghost Bats from an E-7A, the Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing have sent a clear signal: the age of collaborative combat aircraft is not a distant vision but an emerging reality (Picture source: Boeing)
During this capability demonstration at Woomera in South Australia, a single crew member on board the E-7A Wedgetail coordinated two MQ-28 drones and an additional simulated aircraft in real time. The Ghost Bats operated as forward sensors and potential force multipliers, flying ahead to relay tactical data back to the mothership and its strike package. This integration exemplifies how uncrewed systems can extend situational awareness, protect valuable crewed platforms, and enable distributed operations over contested airspace.
The MQ-28, also known as Ghost Bat, has evolved through rapid development and close collaboration between Boeing Defence Australia, the Defence Science and Technology Group, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Designed to operate autonomously or in concert with crewed aircraft, the MQ-28 program embodies a modular approach, using open architecture to adapt mission payloads and communications. This latest test under the broader Capability Demonstration 2025 campaign underlines the aircraft’s versatility and readiness to team up with frontline assets like the E-7A, F/A-18F Super Hornets, and F-35 Lightning IIs. Such a networked “family-of-systems” not only boosts mission resilience but also delivers exponential gains in sensor coverage, data fusion, and strike reach.
Strategically, this successful trial represents more than technological progress; it signals a deliberate move by Australia and its allies to strengthen airborne command and control, especially with an eye on rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific. The E-7A Wedgetail’s ability to orchestrate uncrewed combat aircraft in flight could reshape operational tactics against near-peer threats, including a rapidly modernizing Chinese military. By distributing air combat functions and complicating enemy targeting, this concept promises to enhance survivability while keeping pilots further from danger zones.
Behind the scenes, substantial investments and contracts underpin this push toward integrated air dominance. Boeing’s commitment, combined with government support through programs like CD25, reflects growing defense budgets allocated to autonomy, AI-enabled command and control, and next-generation mission software. These partnerships demonstrate how industry, research institutions, and armed forces can accelerate capability delivery in response to a shifting threat landscape.
This milestone shows that the future battlespace will rely heavily on seamless human-machine teaming. With one operator directing multiple Ghost Bats from an E-7A, the Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing have sent a clear signal: the age of collaborative combat aircraft is not a distant vision but an emerging reality.
{loadposition bannertop}
{loadposition sidebarpub}
On June 16, 2025, two in-flight MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones were controlled for the first time by a single operator onboard an E-7A Wedgetail, marking a pivotal milestone in autonomous combat aircraft integration. As reported by Boeing, this unprecedented demonstration comes amid growing demands for advanced interoperability between crewed and uncrewed assets. The trial showcased how a single operator can manage multiple drones from an airborne early warning and control platform, setting the stage for more agile and survivable force structures. This step forward holds significant promise for the Royal Australian Air Force and its partners as they adapt to complex security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
With one operator directing multiple Ghost Bats from an E-7A, the Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing have sent a clear signal: the age of collaborative combat aircraft is not a distant vision but an emerging reality (Picture source: Boeing)
During this capability demonstration at Woomera in South Australia, a single crew member on board the E-7A Wedgetail coordinated two MQ-28 drones and an additional simulated aircraft in real time. The Ghost Bats operated as forward sensors and potential force multipliers, flying ahead to relay tactical data back to the mothership and its strike package. This integration exemplifies how uncrewed systems can extend situational awareness, protect valuable crewed platforms, and enable distributed operations over contested airspace.
The MQ-28, also known as Ghost Bat, has evolved through rapid development and close collaboration between Boeing Defence Australia, the Defence Science and Technology Group, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Designed to operate autonomously or in concert with crewed aircraft, the MQ-28 program embodies a modular approach, using open architecture to adapt mission payloads and communications. This latest test under the broader Capability Demonstration 2025 campaign underlines the aircraft’s versatility and readiness to team up with frontline assets like the E-7A, F/A-18F Super Hornets, and F-35 Lightning IIs. Such a networked “family-of-systems” not only boosts mission resilience but also delivers exponential gains in sensor coverage, data fusion, and strike reach.
Strategically, this successful trial represents more than technological progress; it signals a deliberate move by Australia and its allies to strengthen airborne command and control, especially with an eye on rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific. The E-7A Wedgetail’s ability to orchestrate uncrewed combat aircraft in flight could reshape operational tactics against near-peer threats, including a rapidly modernizing Chinese military. By distributing air combat functions and complicating enemy targeting, this concept promises to enhance survivability while keeping pilots further from danger zones.
Behind the scenes, substantial investments and contracts underpin this push toward integrated air dominance. Boeing’s commitment, combined with government support through programs like CD25, reflects growing defense budgets allocated to autonomy, AI-enabled command and control, and next-generation mission software. These partnerships demonstrate how industry, research institutions, and armed forces can accelerate capability delivery in response to a shifting threat landscape.
This milestone shows that the future battlespace will rely heavily on seamless human-machine teaming. With one operator directing multiple Ghost Bats from an E-7A, the Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing have sent a clear signal: the age of collaborative combat aircraft is not a distant vision but an emerging reality.
