Boeing has formally validated the stealth performance of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat following a dedicated test and demonstration campaign conducted with the Royal Australian Air Force, announced on 29 May 2026. The milestone marks a further maturation of the collaborative combat aircraft after earlier campaigns had already proven its operational viability in RAAF-relevant scenarios.
The MQ-28 is an uncrewed combat aircraft designed as a loyal wingman to platforms such as the F-35A, F/A-18F and E-7A. It features a low‑observable airframe, more than 2,000 nautical miles of range, fighter-compatible speeds up to Mach 0.9 and a service ceiling above 40,000 ft. Previous demonstrations accumulated about 150 flight hours and over 20,000 hours of virtual testing, validating autonomous mission execution, multi‑ship teaming, deployment to RAAF Base Tindal and data fusion with an E‑7A Wedgetail.
In December 2025, the MQ-28 also executed an AIM‑120 AMRAAM air‑to‑air engagement in an operationally representative scenario, underscoring its progression toward an initial operational capability as a front-line collaborative combat asset.