Boeing and Rheinmetall Pitch MQ-28 Ghost Bat to German Air Force for CCA Role
Boeing and Rheinmetall have proposed the MQ-28 Ghost Bat unmanned aircraft to the German Air Force as a platform for rapid deployment of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The Australian combat drone has already completed flight tests and participated in multinational exercises, giving it a higher level of maturity than many other CCA programs.
The companies emphasize that using the MQ-28 would allow Germany to bypass the lengthy process of developing an entirely new aircraft and begin testing its own procedures more quickly. This includes tactics, training, command structures, and coordination between manned and unmanned aircraft. The development of operational concepts and integration of national technologies would need to start now, with a possible timeline for establishing German capability in 2029.
The MQ-28 is designed to be capable of carrying German sensors, weapons, and mission software, with its modular design intended to facilitate adaptations to new requirements. Rheinmetall plans to establish an independent systems integration capability in Germany and act as the integrator for the MQ-28, ensuring that software development, mission integration, and intellectual property remain within the German industrial ecosystem.