Germany Accelerates Collaborative Combat Aircraft Plans with Boeing and Rheinmetall
The German military is accelerating its path to Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) capabilities, with Boeing and Rheinmetall leading the charge. The MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a mature platform developed by Boeing, has already shown its capabilities in air-to-ground operations and will be integrated into Germany's military.
The MQ-28 is a strike-fighter drone that has participated in multinational exercises, including Exercise Valiant Shield with the US military. Glen Ferguson, Global Director of the MQ-28 program at Boeing Defense Australia, emphasizes the importance of starting the development process immediately to meet the goal of achieving CCA capabilities by 2029.
Rheinmetall is contributing as a system integrator and has established an independent system integration for the MQ-28 in Germany. This will enable the German Air Force to develop and integrate sovereign technologies, with software development, mission integration, and intellectual property remaining within the German industrial ecosystem.