Rheinmetall will act as system integrator for Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat in Germany, giving the country an initial industrial base for collaborative combat aircraft development. The partners are building a German ecosystem around the unmanned platform with Rohde & Schwarz, Diehl Defence and HENSOLDT, while software development, mission integration and intellectual property remain within that domestic network.
The MQ-28 is being positioned as a mature platform that can support sovereign capability work without waiting for a clean-sheet design. Rheinmetall’s role centres on establishing independent integration capacity in Germany, with the arrangement intended to support future work on sensors, weapons and mission systems.
The move expands Boeing’s German industrial team after additions in June 2026, when Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz joined the effort. The latest step is an industry and technology development initiative rather than a procurement decision, contract award or delivery commitment from the German government.