Boeing Defence Australia and Rheinmetall have welcomed German firms Diehl Defence as well as Rohde & Schwarz as additional industry partners for the MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone program.
The MQ-28 is an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft — a “loyal wingman” operating alongside piloted aircraft — that the Boeing-led consortium has been pitching to the German Armed Forces since March 2026.
Rheinmetall serves as the systems integrator of German technology, IRIS-T missile maker Diehl Defence will integrate weapons and provide technical support, and Rohde & Schwarz will contribute mission and communications systems integration in line with the Bundeswehr’s mission requirements.
“We’re bringing together the best of Australian and German innovation to be able to deliver the MQ-28 to the Luftwaffe by 2029,” said Amy List, VP and managing director of Boeing Defence Australia.
Force Multiplier
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat has been designed, developed, and manufactured in Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force and other allies.
It features a modular design and an open systems architecture, and measures approximately 38 feet (12 meters) long and 6.5 feet (2 meters) tall with a 24-foot (7-meter) wingspan.
Weighing around 7,000 pounds (3,175 kilograms), the drone can operate at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet (12,192 meters) and ranges beyond 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 kilometers/2,300 miles).
The Ghost Bat can fly at speeds of up to Mach 0.9 (1,110 kilometers/690 miles per hour).
The loyal wingman marked several milestones during 2025 demonstrations when the Ghost Bat, controlled from an E-7A Wedgetail, engaged an aerial target. It also intercepted a fighter-class target drone with an AMRAAM missile in December that year.
In addition, the MQ-28 completed its first trial outside of the Woomera Training Area in South Australia.
In 2026, Boeing further advanced the Ghost Bat as the drone underwent a radar cross-section test that validated its stealth characteristics and confirmed its ability to operate in high-threat environments.
