Singapore Airshow 2026: Boeing’s MQ-28A targets key 2028 date as Block II ground tests begin
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat was first flown in 2021. (Photo: Boeing)
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is the most mature CCA platform currently under development, with Boeing looking to accelerate its timelines and development of the aircraft.
Boeing’s Ghost Bat MQ-28A programme is honing in on a crucial 2028 milestone to develop and design the Block II and Block III aircraft – targeting a transfer of the aircraft to Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operations in two to three years.
Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 global programme director, said at the Singapore Airshow that 2028 was going to be “a very interesting year” for the company.
“There’ll be RAAF operations flying RAAF missions,” he explained. “In the next three years we will have the airframe and the system ready to go across the board.”
The aircraft proved its first live-fire
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![India’s AMCA fifth-gen fighter roadmap firms up with private sector push]()
India’s AMCA fifth-gen fighter roadmap firms up with private sector push
As a major shortfall in Indian fighter jet capability looms, New Delhi is looking to spread risk and accelerate delivery of its fifth-generation combat aircraft.
-
![Airbus unveils expansion of uncrewed portfolio with new CCA and helicopter platforms]()
Airbus unveils expansion of uncrewed portfolio with new CCA and helicopter platforms
The manufacturer is betting heavily on the demand for uncrewed systems, revealing the uncrewed H145M – known as the U145 – and the U760 Ravenstorm at ILA Berlin 2026 as the two latest additions to its expanding UAV offering.
-
![FCAS future fighter jet collapse: where does Europe’s next-generation air power go next?]()
FCAS future fighter jet collapse: where does Europe’s next-generation air power go next?
While the New Generation Fighter pillar of the Franco-German-Spanish programme is now officially dead in the water, Germany’s ambition to develop a sixth-generation fighter jet remains – with the country serving as a financially attractive potential partner for other programmes.
-
![Upgrades and fresh orders reinforce demand for Dassault’s Rafale fighter jet (updated 2026)]()
Upgrades and fresh orders reinforce demand for Dassault’s Rafale fighter jet (updated 2026)
The French-made aircraft is lining up potentially huge orders in Asia, with the latest F5 platform designed to keep the jet relevant in the modern battlespace until the 2040s.
