Germany Evaluates MQ-28 Ghost Bat as Loyal Wingman to Support Existing Eurofighter Fleet Operations
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On March 27, 2026, Germany signaled possible interest in adding a new autonomous combat layer to its air force when Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Australia that Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat was under consideration.
The remark places Berlin in the growing debate over how collaborative combat aircraft could support existing fighter fleets. For the Luftwaffe, German Air Force, the relevance is immediate: any such system would be examined not as a replacement for the Eurofighter Typhoon, but as a force multiplier able to extend its reach and survivability in a more contested battlespace.
Read Also: Boeing’s F-15EX Multirole Fighter Jet To Lead MQ-28 Ghost Bat Drones In Future Air Combat
Germany is evaluating the MQ-28 Ghost Bat as an autonomous teammate to enhance the reach, survivability, and combat effectiveness of its Eurofighter Typhoon fleet (Picture Source: Australian Air Force / U.S. Air Force)
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius did not announce a contract, a timeline, or a target quantity, so the development should be read as a signal of intent rather than a procurement decision. Even so, the political meaning is substantial. Germany is openly evaluating whether a collaborative combat aircraft could be integrated around the Eurofighter fleet, at a moment when European air forces are under pressure to field more combat mass, distribute risk, and adapt faster to the spread of autonomous systems. The fact that the Ghost Bat is being examined alongside other options also shows that Berlin is not treating this as a symbolic visit issue, but as part of a broader capability assessment.
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat itself is one of the most mature collaborative combat aircraft now in development outside the United States. Boeing presents it as an uncrewed system designed to fly alongside crewed aircraft, extending intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and tactical warning functions while also supporting higher-risk missions. The aircraft measures 11.7 meters in length, has a wingspan of 7.3 meters, can fly more than 2,000 nautical miles, reach fighter-compatible speeds up to Mach 0.9, and operate above 40,000 feet. These characteristics are important because they place it closer to the performance envelope needed to accompany fast jets than many smaller tactical drones.
Its test history is one of the strongest arguments in its favor. While the aircraft has not entered combat service, it has moved well beyond the conceptual phase. Boeing states that in December 2025 an MQ-28 executed an air-to-air autonomous weapon engagement while teamed with an E-7A Wedgetail and an F/A-18F Super Hornet. Australia’s Department of Defence said the drone launched an AIM-120 missile against a Phoenix Jet target over the Woomera Test Range in South Australia and destroyed it while operating as a loyal wingman to the E-7A. That event matters because it showed not only autonomous flight and teaming, but also the ability to participate in an operationally relevant kill chain.
For Germany, the tactical value of such a platform would lie in how it could support the Eurofighter rather than simply accompany it. A collaborative combat aircraft could move ahead of crewed fighters to widen the sensor picture, carry electronic warfare payloads, complicate enemy targeting, and absorb part of the risk in heavily defended airspace. In practical terms, this would help preserve scarce and expensive manned fighters while giving the Luftwaffe more options in the opening stages of high-threat operations. For a force that must think increasingly in terms of distributed operations and survivability against layered air defenses, that is a meaningful shift in how airpower could be generated. This tactical interpretation is supported by Boeing’s description of the Ghost Bat as a mission extender and enabler of intelligent combat mass.
The strategic dimension is equally important because Germany is not examining the Ghost Bat in isolation. The MQ-28 is also part of a wider landscape of collaborative combat aircraft now emerging in Europe, alongside systems such as Helsing’s CA-1 Europa and Airbus’ Europeanized XQ-58A Valkyrie effort, the latter explicitly tied to future work with the Eurofighter. That wider context raises the stakes of Germany’s interest. If Berlin were eventually to favor the Australian-developed MQ-28, it would suggest that proven flight-testing and near-term integration potential are being prioritized over waiting for slower-moving European pathways to mature. It would also open a new defense-industrial avenue with Australia in a field where Germany has traditionally relied on U.S. and European partners for major airpower capabilities.
Germany’s examination of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat is more than a passing comment made during a foreign visit. It points to a possible shift in Luftwaffe thinking, in which the Eurofighter would be reinforced not only through upgrades to the fighter itself, but through the addition of autonomous aircraft able to expand combat mass, extend sensing, and assume greater operational risk. If Berlin moves from consideration to acquisition, the real significance will not be the purchase of another drone, but the decision to give the Eurofighter a collaborative combat partner before Europe’s longer-term next-generation air combat ambitions are fully settled.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
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On March 27, 2026, Germany signaled possible interest in adding a new autonomous combat layer to its air force when Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Australia that Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat was under consideration.
The remark places Berlin in the growing debate over how collaborative combat aircraft could support existing fighter fleets. For the Luftwaffe, German Air Force, the relevance is immediate: any such system would be examined not as a replacement for the Eurofighter Typhoon, but as a force multiplier able to extend its reach and survivability in a more contested battlespace.
Read Also: Boeing’s F-15EX Multirole Fighter Jet To Lead MQ-28 Ghost Bat Drones In Future Air Combat
Germany is evaluating the MQ-28 Ghost Bat as an autonomous teammate to enhance the reach, survivability, and combat effectiveness of its Eurofighter Typhoon fleet (Picture Source: Australian Air Force / U.S. Air Force)
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius did not announce a contract, a timeline, or a target quantity, so the development should be read as a signal of intent rather than a procurement decision. Even so, the political meaning is substantial. Germany is openly evaluating whether a collaborative combat aircraft could be integrated around the Eurofighter fleet, at a moment when European air forces are under pressure to field more combat mass, distribute risk, and adapt faster to the spread of autonomous systems. The fact that the Ghost Bat is being examined alongside other options also shows that Berlin is not treating this as a symbolic visit issue, but as part of a broader capability assessment.
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat itself is one of the most mature collaborative combat aircraft now in development outside the United States. Boeing presents it as an uncrewed system designed to fly alongside crewed aircraft, extending intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and tactical warning functions while also supporting higher-risk missions. The aircraft measures 11.7 meters in length, has a wingspan of 7.3 meters, can fly more than 2,000 nautical miles, reach fighter-compatible speeds up to Mach 0.9, and operate above 40,000 feet. These characteristics are important because they place it closer to the performance envelope needed to accompany fast jets than many smaller tactical drones.
Its test history is one of the strongest arguments in its favor. While the aircraft has not entered combat service, it has moved well beyond the conceptual phase. Boeing states that in December 2025 an MQ-28 executed an air-to-air autonomous weapon engagement while teamed with an E-7A Wedgetail and an F/A-18F Super Hornet. Australia’s Department of Defence said the drone launched an AIM-120 missile against a Phoenix Jet target over the Woomera Test Range in South Australia and destroyed it while operating as a loyal wingman to the E-7A. That event matters because it showed not only autonomous flight and teaming, but also the ability to participate in an operationally relevant kill chain.
For Germany, the tactical value of such a platform would lie in how it could support the Eurofighter rather than simply accompany it. A collaborative combat aircraft could move ahead of crewed fighters to widen the sensor picture, carry electronic warfare payloads, complicate enemy targeting, and absorb part of the risk in heavily defended airspace. In practical terms, this would help preserve scarce and expensive manned fighters while giving the Luftwaffe more options in the opening stages of high-threat operations. For a force that must think increasingly in terms of distributed operations and survivability against layered air defenses, that is a meaningful shift in how airpower could be generated. This tactical interpretation is supported by Boeing’s description of the Ghost Bat as a mission extender and enabler of intelligent combat mass.
The strategic dimension is equally important because Germany is not examining the Ghost Bat in isolation. The MQ-28 is also part of a wider landscape of collaborative combat aircraft now emerging in Europe, alongside systems such as Helsing’s CA-1 Europa and Airbus’ Europeanized XQ-58A Valkyrie effort, the latter explicitly tied to future work with the Eurofighter. That wider context raises the stakes of Germany’s interest. If Berlin were eventually to favor the Australian-developed MQ-28, it would suggest that proven flight-testing and near-term integration potential are being prioritized over waiting for slower-moving European pathways to mature. It would also open a new defense-industrial avenue with Australia in a field where Germany has traditionally relied on U.S. and European partners for major airpower capabilities.
Germany’s examination of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat is more than a passing comment made during a foreign visit. It points to a possible shift in Luftwaffe thinking, in which the Eurofighter would be reinforced not only through upgrades to the fighter itself, but through the addition of autonomous aircraft able to expand combat mass, extend sensing, and assume greater operational risk. If Berlin moves from consideration to acquisition, the real significance will not be the purchase of another drone, but the decision to give the Eurofighter a collaborative combat partner before Europe’s longer-term next-generation air combat ambitions are fully settled.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.
