The Royal Australian Air Force and Boeing recently achieved a significant milestone in the development of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme, when the MQ-28 Ghost Bat successfully carried out a force-integrated, autonomous, air-to-air weapon engagement.
This historic achievement was accomplished during a mission that involved the MQ-28 CCA working alongside a RAAF E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) and an F/A-18F Super Hornet to destroy a fighter-class target drone.
“This is the first time an autonomous aircraft has completed an air-to-air weapon engagement with an AIM-120 missile, establishing the MQ-28 as a mature, combat-capable CCA,” said Amy List, Managing Director, Boeing Defence Australia.
“This latest achievement demonstrates the advantage that specialised CCA platforms bring to defence forces’ mission effectiveness, delivering increased operational mass and data exchange for informed decision-making while reducing cost and the risk to crewed pilots,” she added.
All three aircraft took off from separate locations. Once airborne, an operator aboard the E-7A assumed custodianship of the MQ-28, ensuring safety and engagement oversight. The F/A-18F then teamed with the MQ-28 in a combat formation to provide sensor coverage. Once the Super Hornet had identified and tracked the target, targeting data was shared across all three platforms.
In the final phase of the operation, the MQ-28 adjusted its position and received authorisation from the E-7A to engage, successfully destroying the target with a Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.
“This exercise demonstrates the maturity and sophistication of Boeing’s mission autonomy solution, which is built on open standards and government architectures and is capable of integrating with fourth, fifth and sixth-generation aircraft,” said Colin Miller, Vice President and General Manager for Phantom Works, Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s advanced research, development and rapid prototyping division.
“It is a true example of speed-to-capability. The team implemented open architectures and an advanced digital ecosystem to develop the necessary hardware, software and mission systems required to successfully integrate, test and employ the weapon in a live, operationally relevant scenario in under eight months.”
Additional information about the MQ-28 Ghost Bat development can also be found in our previous articles:
- Showcase of new capabilities – two MQ-28s teamed with E-7A Wedgetail
- Ghost Bat completed the RAAF tests
Cover photo: An artist’s rendering of a Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail teaming with two MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (Boeing illustration). All photos and quotations © Boeing. Information from The Boeing Company press releases were used.
