Rheinmetall and Boeing Advance MQ-28 Ghost Bat Proposal to Luftwaffe

Rheinmetall and Boeing are moving forward with their proposal to provide the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) with a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) capability based on the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. The announcement comes after a strategic partnership was presented in March, aiming for a possible operational capability by 2029.

The key selling point of this proposal is avoiding the development of an unmanned combat aircraft from scratch. According to Rheinmetall, the MQ-28 already has flight test experience and participation in multinational exercises, while Boeing claims its modular architecture allows new capabilities to be incorporated without redesigning the platform.

The Luftwaffe is seeking a CCA capability before the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) enters service in the 2040s. Having such a system would allow for the development of tactics, training, and MUM-T doctrines, as well as experimenting with collaborative operations well before the FCAS arrives.