Boeing starts construction on first final assembly facility outside North America

Construction has begun at Boeing’s first final assembly facility outside of North America. The new site in Queensland, Australia, will support the manufacture of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat.

Located at the Wellcamp Aerospace and Defence Precinct, the US aerospace company said it expected the 9,000sqm site to be operational in three years. The development came after the Australian Department of Defence announced in February that it would invest an additional AU$400 million (US$261 million) in the development of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat.

The facility will include manufacturing capabilities such as carbon fibre composites manufacturing and robotic assembly for significant components. The MQ-28 production facility will also contain final assembly and test capabilities.

Designed as a multirole system to escort crewed aircraft, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat began development in 2013 and took its first flight in February 2021. The aircraft was previously called the Airpower Teaming System (ATS) or the ‘Loyal Wingman’.

According to Boeing, the facility, developed in cooperation with the Queensland government and Wagner Corporation, will be built using sustainable construction methods and incorporate renewable technologies.