Full Speed Ahead for Boeing MQ-28 Collaborative Combat Ghost Bat | Aviation International News

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Full Speed Ahead for Collaborative Combat Ghost Bat

In 2028 Australia will become the first country with an operational collaborative combat aircraft capability

MQ-28A — During a December 8 trial at Woomera, a Block 2 MQ-28A destroyed an aerial target with an externally-carried AIM-120 air-to-air-missile. © Australian Department of Defence

By David Donald • Contributor - UK

February 3, 2026

The Australian government late last year approved an AUD$1.4 billion ($977 million) contract for the next step of the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Under this deal, Boeing Australia will build six more Block 2 air vehicles, the first of which is in ground test, and develop the Block 3, which represents the initial operational capability.

Block 3 introduces several changes, including a larger wing, an internal weapons bay, a beyond-line-of-sight datalink that permits untethered operations, and system security enhancements. The air vehicle will also be able to carry weapons externally for certain scenarios. The first operational vehicles are due for delivery to the RAAF in 2028, at which point it is forecast to become—by some considerable margin—the first service in the world to introduce this game-changing operational concept.

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