Boeing's newest combat drone is called the MQ-28A Ghost Bat. The Loyal Wingman project is an initiative to give fighter pilots an uncrewed partner in the sky and the drone is being produced in Australia.
The introduction of the new popular name is a rare and special moment in aviation history for our RAAF partners and industry team of over 35 Australian suppliers, said Glen Ferguson, director of Australia's Boeing Airpower Teaming System.
The Ghost Bat is an Australian native mammal known for teaming together in a pack to detect and hunt, and is a fitting name for this innovative capability.
This new generation of drones is intended to fly alongside fighter jets and assist in everything from jamming radar to conducting surveillance or even firing on targets.
The Ghost Bat is the first combat aircraft to be manufactured in Australia in over 50 years and is a signal to the world that Australian politicians are serious about investing more money in the defense industry to counter what they see as an increasingly hostile China.
Boeing, a U.S.-based company, generated about $62 billion in revenue last year.
As air warfare grows more complex and more sophisticated, remotely piloted aircraft and other uncrewed platforms are becoming increasingly vital assets for modern militaries.
The politician revealed the new name of the Ghost Bat during a ceremony at a base in the state of Queensland.
The new capability allows us to introduce more mass into the battlespace. The number of uncrewed aircraft such as the MQ-28A Ghost Bat would have to contend with our crewed capability.
The three test flight series have been successful and have a range of 3,700 kilometers, which is more than enough to hold a potential adversary's forces and infrastructure at risk from a greater distance.
While he has been pushing for more military projects in Australia, he may not have much time left to influence the direction of Australia's drones. The conservative government in Australia is up for re-election in May and the Liberal Party is not doing well in the polls.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
