Learn what the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat does, how its autonomy and modular payloads work, its RAAF role, status and difference from the MQ-25.
The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat is a jet-powered, uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft developed in Australia by Boeing Defence Australia with the Royal Australian Air Force. It uses autonomous systems to fly and team with crewed aircraft, carrying interchangeable mission payloads for roles such as surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare under human command.
For our Aviation & Real-World Flying coverage, we classify it as an autonomous military aircraft rather than a conventional remotely piloted drone. It was originally known as the Loyal Wingman, but that nickname does not mean it operates without human direction or accountability.
What role does the MQ-28 Ghost Bat perform?
The MQ-28 is designed to accompany crewed combat aircraft and extend what a force can sense, monitor or influence without placing another pilot aboard. A mission commander can assign objectives while the aircraft's onboard systems manage much of the flying and tactical co-ordination.
Potential mission packages include:
- intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance;
- tactical early warning and sensor support;
- electronic warfare and communications functions;
- decoy or risk-bearing tasks in contested airspace;
- co-operative operations with crewed fighters and other uncrewed aircraft.
Its reconfigurable nose is intended to accept different sensor and mission packages. That modular approach matters more than any single payload: the same basic airframe can be adapted for different tasks without redesigning the whole aircraft.
How autonomous is the MQ-28?
The MQ-28 is intended to execute assigned tasks with substantial onboard autonomy rather than requiring continuous stick-and-rudder control from a ground station. The human operator sets mission goals and constraints; the aircraft manages functions such as flight, navigation and formation co-ordination according to its software and authorised mission plan.
Autonomous does not mean independent authority. It does not imply that the aircraft chooses its own strategic objectives or automatically receives permission to release weapons. Human oversight, rules of engagement and the approved system configuration still govern what it may do.
The exact autonomy architecture, lost-link behaviour and tactical software are not public. Claims that it can operate entirely without communications or human supervision should therefore be treated cautiously.
Key MQ-28 facts and specifications
The published figures establish the aircraft's general scale, while its detailed performance and mission systems remain partly undisclosed.
| Characteristic | Published information |
|---|---|
| RAAF designation | MQ-28A Ghost Bat |
| Crew | None aboard |
| Propulsion | Single jet engine |
| Length | Approximately 11.7 metres (38 feet) |
| Wingspan | Approximately 7.3 metres (24 feet) |
| Published range | More than 2,000 nautical miles (about 3,700 kilometres) |
| Payload concept | Interchangeable mission packages in a reconfigurable nose |
The quoted range should not be mistaken for combat radius. Radius depends on the route, reserves, altitude, payload, time spent on task and whether the aircraft must return to its launch base. Reliable public figures for maximum speed, ceiling, payload mass and radar signature have not been released.
Development and names
The MQ-28 began as Australia's Loyal Wingman development programme and first flew in February 2021. The Royal Australian Air Force announced the MQ-28A Ghost Bat name in 2022, referencing an Australian bat known for hunting and detecting prey in groups.
- Loyal Wingman was the original programme and demonstrator name.
- Airpower Teaming System was Boeing's broader product terminology.
- MQ-28A Ghost Bat is the Australian military designation.
Boeing and the Australian government describe it as the first military combat aircraft designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years. It forms part of Boeing's wider military aircraft portfolio, alongside crewed aircraft, tankers and other uncrewed systems.
Is the MQ-28 Ghost Bat armed and operational?
The MQ-28 is intended for combat teaming, but that description does not confirm a standard operational weapons fit or front-line service status. An aircraft can contribute directly to combat through sensing, jamming, communications, decoying and reconnaissance without carrying weapons.
Through the programme milestones announced up to 2025, the MQ-28A was still associated with development, flight testing and capability maturation rather than a declared front-line RAAF squadron. Prototype flights and production orders are significant, but neither automatically means an aircraft has reached operational capability.
How does the MQ-28 differ from the MQ-25 Stingray?
The MQ-28 is an Australian collaborative combat aircraft, while the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray is a carrier-based uncrewed tanker developed for the United States Navy. The MQ-25's principal purpose is aerial refuelling; our guide to the MQ-25's tanker role explains that aircraft in detail.
The MQ-28 also differs from an ordinary remotely piloted drone because it is designed around mission-level autonomy and co-operation with other aircraft. Unlike a cruise missile, it is a reusable aircraft with landing gear, interchangeable payloads and a return-to-base mission profile.
MQ-28 Ghost Bat flight-simulator models
Any public MQ-28 simulator model is necessarily an approximation because important performance, sensor and autonomy data are not available. A pilotable add-on may reproduce the shape and conventional flight controls, but formation logic, sensor fusion, electronic warfare, datalinks and low-observable behaviour are much harder to represent faithfully.
Our MSFS military-aircraft add-on collection provides relevant simulator context. Check each listing's stated simulator and platform carefully: a PC package cannot be assumed to support both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 or to install on Xbox or PlayStation.