The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) traded lower Friday. Boeing announced that the company and the Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF, said the MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft completed a slate of trials that demonstrate it can operate alongside crewed jets.
The campaign advances Australia’s development of autonomous “loyal wingman” aircraft while offering Boeing a path to fielding a new class of combat mass at lower risk to aircrews.
The RAAF’s Capability Demonstration 2025 series wrapped up in early June -- four months ahead of schedule -- with the MQ-28 executing mission sets meant to augment existing platforms.
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The effort combined live flights and digital twins, totaling about 150 flight hours and more than 20,000 hours in simulation, to validate core behaviors and readiness.
The Ghost Bat showcased autonomous mission execution; coordinated “multi-ship” operations to generate combat mass; a forward deployment to RAAF Base Tindal; teaming with an E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft; and data fusion across multiple MQ-28s with onward transmission to a crewed platform.
The design targets the “find, fix, track and target” portions of the air-combat chain while reducing exposure for pilots.
“The RAAF set the task of proving the first four steps in the Air Combat chain for the MQ-28 and we have accomplished that sooner than anticipated,” said Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 global program director. “Completing this work early allows us to accelerate the next phases of development – engage and assess – with an air-to-air weapon shot planned for later this year or in early 2026.The demonstrations have proven the maturity of MQ-28’s capabilities and the utility of CCA’s and their application to the future force mix,” Ferguson said.
Capabilities validated this year will roll into Block 2 aircraft now in production, forming the foundation for an initial operational capability for the RAAF -- and potentially allied users.
The next phases focus on weapons employment and assessment to further cement the CCA’s role within the future force mix.
The MQ-28 is Boeing’s flagship autonomous air-combat program and a key pillar in Australia’s push to field sovereign advanced airpower. Finishing ahead of plan and proving teaming, data sharing and distributed operations bolster the case for CCAs as force multipliers amid tightening budgets and contested airspace.
According to Benzinga Pro, BA stock has gained over 40% in the past year. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via Direxion Daily BA Bull 2X Shares (BOEU).
Price Action: BA shares are trading lower by 1.47% to $227.03 at last check Friday.
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