Boeing and Rheinmetall Pitch MQ-28 Ghost Bat for Germany's Future Combat Drone Plans

Boeing and Rheinmetall have teamed up to promote the MQ-28 Ghost Bat as a potential foundation for Germany's future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) capability. The companies argue that the unmanned aircraft, already developed by Boeing Australia in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force, is mature enough to integrate German sensors, weapons, and mission software.

Rheinmetall would act as the national system integrator, keeping software development, mission integration, and intellectual property within Germany. This would allow the Luftwaffe to begin developing tactics, training, and force structure immediately instead of waiting for an entirely new platform.

According to Glen Ferguson, Boeing Defense Australia's Global Director of the MQ-28 program, 'If the goal is to achieve such a capability by 2029, this work must begin today with the development of tactics, training, definition of force structure and the integration of sovereign technologies.'

The proposal follows Boeing's efforts to introduce the Ghost Bat to European customers. The company displayed the aircraft at this year's Farnborough Airshow, where it attracted attention as one of the few Collaborative Combat Aircraft already flying outside the United States.