Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat debuts in Valiant Shield 26 and Farnborough Airshow
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), participated in Exercise Valiant Shield 26 from June 22 to July 1, 2026, across Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Japan. It flew alongside F-35, F-15EX, and other coalition aircraft, marking the first U.S. Air Force inclusion of a CCA in a large-scale multinational exercise. The drone later debuted at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026, following a successful live-fire test. Boeing is positioning the MQ-28 for future U.S. and international contracts.
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Australian MQ-28 Ghost Bat Flies in U.S.-Led Pacific Exercise; Boeing Calls It a Key 'First Step'
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, developed for the Royal Australian Air Force, became the first collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to fly alongside U.S. and allied forces in a major multinational exercise, Valiant Shield, in the Pacific's Northern Mariana Islands. Despite not winning initial U.S. Air Force CCA production contracts—awarded to Anduril and General Atomics in June 2026—the Ghost Bat's participation marks a significant milestone. Boeing Defense Australia's MQ-28 global programs director, Glen Ferguson, described it as a 'first step' in integrating CCAs into the force, hinting at future exercises like Talisman Saber. The drone flew with F-35s, F-15EX, and other aircraft. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command welcomed the capability, and Germany is also eyeing the Ghost Bat for its own drone wingman program, with a goal to field operational units by 2029.
Australian Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat Becomes First CCA to Fly in Major Pacific Exercise
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, developed for the Royal Australian Air Force, became the first collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to fly alongside U.S. aircraft in a major multinational exercise, Valiant Shield, in the Pacific's Northern Mariana Islands. Boeing executive Glen Ferguson called this a 'first step' in integrating CCAs into the force, hinting at future participation in exercises like Talisman Sabre. The Ghost Bat flew with F-35s, F-15EX, and other aircraft. This comes after Boeing was dropped from the first U.S. CCA competition, which awarded contracts to Anduril and General Atomics. The U.S. Air Force used the appearance to project new capabilities, and Germany is also eyeing the Ghost Bat for its own drone wingman program, with a target of fielding operational units by 2029.
Australian Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat Becomes First CCA to Fly in Major Pacific Exercise
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, developed for the Royal Australian Air Force, became the first collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to fly alongside U.S. aircraft in a major multinational exercise, Valiant Shield, held in the Pacific's Northern Mariana Islands. Boeing executive Glen Ferguson called the participation a critical 'first step' for integrating CCAs into allied forces, hinting at future involvement in exercises like Talisman Saber. The Ghost Bat flew with F-35s, F-15EX, and other aircraft. This comes despite Boeing being dropped from the U.S. Air Force's first CCA competition, which awarded contracts to Anduril and General Atomics. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command welcomed the CCA's presence in the theater. Germany is also considering the Ghost Bat for its own drone wingman program, with a consortium including Rheinmetall, Diehl Defence, and Rohde & Schwarz offering the platform.
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Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Makes Farnborough Airshow Debut After Historic Exercise
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), made its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026. The aircraft recently became the first CCA to participate in a multinational joint operational exercise, Valiant Shield 2026, flying alongside F-35A, F-35B, and other crewed coalition jets in the Western Pacific. The Ghost Bat also completed a live fire demonstration, destroying a drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Designed for missions like surveillance and electronic warfare, the aircraft has a range of over 2,000 nautical miles and a ceiling above 40,000 feet. Boeing officials touted the achievement as a milestone for human-machine teaming and joint force operations. The article also notes broader industry trends, including U.S. Air Force CCA contracts awarded to Anduril and General Atomics.
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Makes Farnborough Airshow Debut
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), made its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026. The aircraft recently became the first CCA to participate in a multinational joint operational exercise, Valiant Shield 2026, flying alongside F-35A, F-35B, and other crewed coalition jets in the Western Pacific. The Ghost Bat also completed a live fire demonstration, destroying a drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Designed for missions like surveillance and electronic warfare, the aircraft has a range of over 2,000 nautical miles and a ceiling above 40,000 feet. Boeing's CEO highlighted the achievement as a milestone in human-machine teaming. The article also notes the U.S. Air Force's CCA contracts to Anduril and General Atomics, and BAE Systems' new helmet for managing drone wingmen.
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Makes Farnborough Airshow Debut After Historic Exercise
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), made its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026. The aircraft recently became the first CCA to participate in a multinational joint operational exercise, flying alongside F-35A, F-35B, and other crewed coalition jets during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 in the Western Pacific. The Ghost Bat also completed a live fire demonstration, destroying a drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Designed to support crewed jets with surveillance and electronic warfare, the aircraft has a range of over 2,000 nautical miles and a ceiling above 40,000 feet. Boeing officials hailed the milestone as a demonstration of advanced human-machine teaming. The U.S. Air Force has also awarded CCA contracts to Anduril and General Atomics for similar uncrewed systems.
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Makes Farnborough Airshow Debut After Historic Exercise
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), made its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026. The aircraft recently became the first CCA to participate in a multinational joint operational exercise, Valiant Shield 2026, flying alongside F-35A, F-35B, and other crewed coalition jets over the Mariana Islands Range Complex in the Western Pacific. The Ghost Bat also completed a live fire demonstration, destroying a drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Designed with a range of over 2,000 nautical miles and a ceiling above 40,000 feet, the aircraft supports crewed jets in surveillance and electronic warfare missions. Boeing officials emphasized the milestone as a demonstration of advanced human-machine teaming. The article also notes broader industry trends, including BAE Systems' new helmet for drone management and U.S. Air Force CCA contracts awarded to Anduril and General Atomics.
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Makes Farnborough Airshow Debut
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an Australian uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), made its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026. The aircraft recently became the first CCA to participate in a multinational joint operational exercise, Valiant Shield 2026, flying alongside F-35A, F-35B, and other crewed coalition jets in the Western Pacific. Boeing stated the Ghost Bat has proven combat capable after a successful live fire test where it shot down a drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Designed for missions like surveillance and electronic warfare, the aircraft has a range of over 2,000 nautical miles and a ceiling above 40,000 feet. The debut highlights growing industry focus on crewed-uncrewed teaming as a strategic advantage against near-peer rivals like China.
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Makes Farnborough Airshow Debut After Historic Exercise
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) developed by Australia, made its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026. The aircraft recently became the first CCA to participate in a multinational joint operational exercise, flying alongside F-35A, F-35B, and other crewed coalition jets during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 in the Western Pacific. The Ghost Bat also completed a live fire demonstration, destroying a drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. With a range of over 2,000 nautical miles and a ceiling above 40,000 feet, the aircraft is designed for surveillance, electronic warfare, and crewed-uncrewed teaming. Boeing officials hailed the milestone as proof of combat capability and a step forward for human-machine teaming in future air combat.
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Makes Farnborough Airshow Debut
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), made its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026. The aircraft recently became the first CCA to participate in a multinational joint operational exercise, flying alongside F-35A, F-35B, and other crewed coalition jets during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 in the Western Pacific. The Ghost Bat also completed a live fire demonstration, destroying a drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. Designed to support crewed jets with surveillance and electronic warfare, it has a range of over 2,000 nautical miles and a ceiling above 40,000 feet. Boeing officials hailed the milestone as a step forward in human-machine teaming. The U.S. Air Force has also awarded CCA contracts to Anduril and General Atomics for similar uncrewed aircraft.
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Makes Farnborough Airshow Debut After Historic Exercise
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an Australian uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), made its debut at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2026. The aircraft recently became the first CCA to participate in a multinational joint operational exercise, Valiant Shield 2026, flying alongside F-35A, F-35B, and other crewed coalition jets over the Mariana Islands Range Complex in the Western Pacific. Boeing stated the aircraft is combat-capable, having successfully completed a live fire test destroying a drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile. The Ghost Bat has a range of over 2,000 nautical miles, a ceiling above 40,000 feet, and is designed for missions including surveillance and electronic warfare. The article also notes broader industry trends, including BAE Systems' new helmet for drone management and U.S. Air Force CCA contracts awarded to Anduril and General Atomics.
Boeing's Ghost Bat Drone Flew with F-35 and Other Aircraft in Pacific Exercise
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) participated in Exercise Valiant Shield 26 from June 22 to July 1, operating alongside multiple F-35 variants (A and B), F-15EX, HC-130, E-3, E-2D, EA-18G, RC-135, and other joint and coalition aircraft. This marked the first time the U.S. Air Force included a CCA drone in a large-scale, multinational Pacific exercise. The flights provide aviators with insights into tactics for semi-autonomous drones. While the Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics for its first CCA increment, Boeing is positioning the MQ-28 for potential Increment 2 and international sales. The exercise also involved B-2 bombers, F-22 fighters, and aircraft from Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Drone Flies with F-35 and Other Aircraft in Pacific Exercise
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) participated in Exercise Valiant Shield 26, a major Pacific exercise from June 22 to July 1, spanning Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Japan. This marked the first time the U.S. Air Force included a CCA drone in a large-scale, joint multinational exercise. The MQ-28 flew alongside multiple F-35 variants (A and B), F-15EX, HC-130, E-3, E-2D, EA-18G, RC-135, and other coalition aircraft. Pacific Air Forces previously revealed the MQ-28's flight with an F-15EX and a Forward Arming and Refueling Point operation with an HC-130J. This is the first publicly known instance of an F-35 flying with a CCA. Boeing, which did not bid for the first CCA increment, is now exploring opportunities for Increment 2 and international markets. The exercise also featured B-2, F-22, P-8, and various tanker aircraft, with participation from Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.
Boeing's Ghost Bat Drone Flew with F-35 and Other Aircraft in Pacific Exercise Valiant Shield 26
Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) participated in Exercise Valiant Shield 26, a major Pacific exercise held from June 22 to July 1, spanning Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Japan. This marked the first time the U.S. Air Force included a CCA drone in a large-scale, joint multinational exercise. The MQ-28 flew alongside multiple F-35 variants (A and B), F-15EX, HC-130, E-3, E-2D, EA-18G, RC-135, and other coalition aircraft. Previously, PACAF revealed the MQ-28's flight with an F-15EX and a Forward Arming and Refueling Point operation with an HC-130J. While the Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics for its first CCAs, Boeing is positioning the MQ-28 for potential Increment 2 contracts and international opportunities. The exercise also included B-2, F-22, P-8, tankers, and participation from Japan, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.