Australia conducts first flight of MQ-28A Ghost Bat drone to validate mission readiness beyond test range limits
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On June 24, 2025, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) successfully concluded Exercise Carlsbad at RAAF Base Tindal with the MQ-28A Ghost Bat conducting its first operational flight outside the Woomera Range Complex. The exercise, held in June 2025, marked a milestone in validating the drone’s capacity to operate from new and unfamiliar locations. The MQ-28A was transported by a C-17 Globemaster directly from the Australian International Air Show.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat, formerly known as the Airpower Teaming System, is the first military aircraft designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia in more than five decades. (Picture source: Australian MoD)
Within seven days of arrival, a series of ground events confirmed system functionality, followed by a successful flight. Exercise Carlsbad was part of a series of Capability Demonstration 2025 (CD25) events aimed at assessing the MQ-28A’s operational integration with existing RAAF infrastructure and crewed platforms. The trial involved local squadrons at RAAF Base Tindal, 75 Squadron, 17 Squadron, and 9 Squadron, along with the Collaborative Autonomous Systems Project Office, Air Force Headquarters, and the Air Warfare Centre.
Wing Commander Phillip Parsons, Exercise Carlsbad Commander and remote systems pilot (and also the first RAAF pilot to take control of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat), stated that the objective was to evaluate all fundamental inputs to capability for the MQ-28A. The exercise focused on deployment logistics, system verification, airfield readiness, and interoperability. The aircraft’s performance outside of Woomera was intended to confirm that the platform could be relocated, supported, and operated by base units outside its primary testing environment. According to Wing Commander Parsons, the collaboration between Boeing Defence Australia and the RAAF was essential, and the event followed recent training that certified him as the first RAAF pilot to operate the MQ-28A. The training program, concluded on June 13, 2024, emphasized mission execution, navigation, climb and descent profiles, and coordination with launch and recovery systems.
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat, formerly known as the Airpower Teaming System, is the first military aircraft designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia in more than five decades. The aircraft is being developed by Boeing Defence Australia under Air Force Minor Program DEF 6014 and is designed to operate autonomously or in coordination with crewed assets, including the F-35A, F/A-18F, E-7A, and KC-30A. It uses artificial intelligence and modular mission payloads to execute intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare missions. As of October 2024, eight Block 1 units have been constructed and used for test and evaluation, with more than 100 test flights and over 20,000 hours of digital simulation conducted. These aircraft are considered developmental test assets and will eventually be replaced by three operational Block 2 variants, incorporating changes to GPS/INS systems, maintainability enhancements, and removal of the Block 1 dogtooth wing feature.
On June 16, 2025, Boeing Defence Australia announced a further milestone during the CD25 test program: a single operator aboard an E-7A Wedgetail controlled two MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft to perform a mission simulating an airborne threat. The mission aimed to evaluate the integration of collaborative combat aircraft with the RAAF’s airborne early warning and control systems. The software enabling this operation was developed collaboratively by Boeing Defence Australia, Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group, and the United States Air Force Research Laboratory. Boeing stated that this event demonstrated system architecture integration and confirmed the feasibility of in-flight operational command from crewed aircraft to uncrewed systems. While the image released was a digital rendering, Boeing indicated that the activity is part of an ongoing test schedule involving additional assets such as the F/A-18F and F-35A later in 2025.
The MQ-28A is 11.7 meters long, with a 7.3-meter wingspan, and powered by a commercial-off-the-shelf turbofan engine speculated to be either the Williams FJ44 or the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300. It has a stated range of more than 3,700 kilometers and operates in the high subsonic regime. The aircraft relies on its shape for low observability, as no radiation-absorbent materials were applied on the prototype. The resin-infused composite wing is Boeing’s largest such structure, and its manufacturing incorporates robotic drill-and-fill, shimless assembly, and full-size determinant assembly. The modular nose section, with a 1.5 cubic meter internal volume, is designed to be swapped for different payloads, including ISR sensors, radar systems, and electronic warfare modules. Saab AB supplies the electromechanical actuators and flight control systems. BAE Systems Australia contributes to vehicle management and simulation, while DSTG provides aerodynamic and structural testing support.
Domestically, more than 200 Australian suppliers are involved in the Ghost Bat program, contributing to fields such as advanced manufacturing, composite fabrication, avionics, landing gear systems, and electrical subsystems. Over 70 percent of program expenditure remains within the Australian industrial base. Notable companies include Marand Precision Engineering, Microelectronic Technologies, Allied Data Systems, Ferra Engineering, and Coastal Aviation. Boeing is constructing a new 9,000-square-meter final assembly facility at the Wellcamp Aerospace and Defence Precinct in Toowoomba, Queensland. The facility will support carbon fiber composite manufacturing, robotic component assembly, and final system integration, with completion expected within three years. The construction is managed by Wagner Corporation and aims to integrate renewable technologies and sustainable methods, aligning with strategic objectives for domestic capability growth.
The Australian Government has committed over A$1 billion to the MQ-28A program as part of its broader $10 billion investment in uncrewed and autonomous systems, including a minimum of $4.3 billion allocated to uncrewed aerial platforms. In 2023, the government confirmed funding for 10 Block 1 aircraft, separate from three early prototypes not operated by the RAAF. In February 2024, Canberra allocated an additional $400 million for three Block 2 aircraft and related system upgrades. A live test launch of an air-to-air missile from an MQ-28A is scheduled for late 2025 or early 2026. The aircraft has also drawn interest from the United States. In 2022, the Pentagon confirmed the acquisition of at least one MQ-28 for research and development. Former U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall described the platform as a “technology feeder” to the U.S. Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. Although no full acquisition has been announced, Boeing indicated that further international cooperation may reduce production costs and expand the program’s future scope.
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On June 24, 2025, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) successfully concluded Exercise Carlsbad at RAAF Base Tindal with the MQ-28A Ghost Bat conducting its first operational flight outside the Woomera Range Complex. The exercise, held in June 2025, marked a milestone in validating the drone’s capacity to operate from new and unfamiliar locations. The MQ-28A was transported by a C-17 Globemaster directly from the Australian International Air Show.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat, formerly known as the Airpower Teaming System, is the first military aircraft designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia in more than five decades. (Picture source: Australian MoD)
Within seven days of arrival, a series of ground events confirmed system functionality, followed by a successful flight. Exercise Carlsbad was part of a series of Capability Demonstration 2025 (CD25) events aimed at assessing the MQ-28A’s operational integration with existing RAAF infrastructure and crewed platforms. The trial involved local squadrons at RAAF Base Tindal, 75 Squadron, 17 Squadron, and 9 Squadron, along with the Collaborative Autonomous Systems Project Office, Air Force Headquarters, and the Air Warfare Centre.
Wing Commander Phillip Parsons, Exercise Carlsbad Commander and remote systems pilot (and also the first RAAF pilot to take control of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat), stated that the objective was to evaluate all fundamental inputs to capability for the MQ-28A. The exercise focused on deployment logistics, system verification, airfield readiness, and interoperability. The aircraft’s performance outside of Woomera was intended to confirm that the platform could be relocated, supported, and operated by base units outside its primary testing environment. According to Wing Commander Parsons, the collaboration between Boeing Defence Australia and the RAAF was essential, and the event followed recent training that certified him as the first RAAF pilot to operate the MQ-28A. The training program, concluded on June 13, 2024, emphasized mission execution, navigation, climb and descent profiles, and coordination with launch and recovery systems.
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat, formerly known as the Airpower Teaming System, is the first military aircraft designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia in more than five decades. The aircraft is being developed by Boeing Defence Australia under Air Force Minor Program DEF 6014 and is designed to operate autonomously or in coordination with crewed assets, including the F-35A, F/A-18F, E-7A, and KC-30A. It uses artificial intelligence and modular mission payloads to execute intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare missions. As of October 2024, eight Block 1 units have been constructed and used for test and evaluation, with more than 100 test flights and over 20,000 hours of digital simulation conducted. These aircraft are considered developmental test assets and will eventually be replaced by three operational Block 2 variants, incorporating changes to GPS/INS systems, maintainability enhancements, and removal of the Block 1 dogtooth wing feature.
On June 16, 2025, Boeing Defence Australia announced a further milestone during the CD25 test program: a single operator aboard an E-7A Wedgetail controlled two MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft to perform a mission simulating an airborne threat. The mission aimed to evaluate the integration of collaborative combat aircraft with the RAAF’s airborne early warning and control systems. The software enabling this operation was developed collaboratively by Boeing Defence Australia, Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group, and the United States Air Force Research Laboratory. Boeing stated that this event demonstrated system architecture integration and confirmed the feasibility of in-flight operational command from crewed aircraft to uncrewed systems. While the image released was a digital rendering, Boeing indicated that the activity is part of an ongoing test schedule involving additional assets such as the F/A-18F and F-35A later in 2025.
The MQ-28A is 11.7 meters long, with a 7.3-meter wingspan, and powered by a commercial-off-the-shelf turbofan engine speculated to be either the Williams FJ44 or the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300. It has a stated range of more than 3,700 kilometers and operates in the high subsonic regime. The aircraft relies on its shape for low observability, as no radiation-absorbent materials were applied on the prototype. The resin-infused composite wing is Boeing’s largest such structure, and its manufacturing incorporates robotic drill-and-fill, shimless assembly, and full-size determinant assembly. The modular nose section, with a 1.5 cubic meter internal volume, is designed to be swapped for different payloads, including ISR sensors, radar systems, and electronic warfare modules. Saab AB supplies the electromechanical actuators and flight control systems. BAE Systems Australia contributes to vehicle management and simulation, while DSTG provides aerodynamic and structural testing support.
Domestically, more than 200 Australian suppliers are involved in the Ghost Bat program, contributing to fields such as advanced manufacturing, composite fabrication, avionics, landing gear systems, and electrical subsystems. Over 70 percent of program expenditure remains within the Australian industrial base. Notable companies include Marand Precision Engineering, Microelectronic Technologies, Allied Data Systems, Ferra Engineering, and Coastal Aviation. Boeing is constructing a new 9,000-square-meter final assembly facility at the Wellcamp Aerospace and Defence Precinct in Toowoomba, Queensland. The facility will support carbon fiber composite manufacturing, robotic component assembly, and final system integration, with completion expected within three years. The construction is managed by Wagner Corporation and aims to integrate renewable technologies and sustainable methods, aligning with strategic objectives for domestic capability growth.
The Australian Government has committed over A$1 billion to the MQ-28A program as part of its broader $10 billion investment in uncrewed and autonomous systems, including a minimum of $4.3 billion allocated to uncrewed aerial platforms. In 2023, the government confirmed funding for 10 Block 1 aircraft, separate from three early prototypes not operated by the RAAF. In February 2024, Canberra allocated an additional $400 million for three Block 2 aircraft and related system upgrades. A live test launch of an air-to-air missile from an MQ-28A is scheduled for late 2025 or early 2026. The aircraft has also drawn interest from the United States. In 2022, the Pentagon confirmed the acquisition of at least one MQ-28 for research and development. Former U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall described the platform as a “technology feeder” to the U.S. Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. Although no full acquisition has been announced, Boeing indicated that further international cooperation may reduce production costs and expand the program’s future scope.
