MQ-28 Ghost Bat Successfully Completes First Autonomous Air-to-Air Kill in Landmark Boeing–RAAF Trial

Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have completed a breakthrough weapons trial in South Australia, where an MQ-28 Ghost Bat unmanned aircraft, working alongside an E-7A Wedgetail and an F/A-18F Super Hornet, successfully carried out an autonomous air-to-air engagement, destroying a fighter-class target drone with an BVR AIM-120C AMRAAM. The AIM-120C, depending on the variant, has an effective range of around 90 km, giving aircraft the ability to strike airborne threats well beyond visual distance and making the MQ-28’s autonomous launch a major operational achievement.

The test, conducted at RAAF Base Woomera, showcased a fully networked kill chain. The E-7A Wedgetail served as the mission commander, tracking the target and fusing battlefield data, while the F/A-18F Super Hornet operated as part of the crewed strike package. The MQ-28, receiving targeting information through secure datalinks, autonomously manoeuvred into firing position and launched the AMRAAM after human operators aboard the E-7A authorised the engagement. The missile successfully destroyed the airborne target, marking a new era in human–machine air combat cooperation.

This event is officially recognised as the first autonomous air-to-air weapon engagement involving an MQ-28, validating the Ghost Bat’s role as a frontline Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Meanwhile, human authority remained central—operators supervised the engagement and approved the weapon release, preserving ethical and legal oversight while allowing autonomous systems to handle speed and complexity.

The demonstration highlights the accelerating maturity of the Ghost Bat program, the first military aircraft designed in Australia in more than 50 years. With a range exceeding 3,700 km, modular payload options, and an AI-driven mission system, the MQ-28 is being positioned as a force multiplier that can carry sensors, electronic warfare packages, or weapons as needed.

The test aligns with Australia’s decision to award Boeing a A$1.4 billion contract for six MQ-28A Ghost Bats, transitioning the aircraft from an experimental platform to an operational capability. It also reflects Canberra’s broader ambition to integrate autonomous systems across air, sea, and undersea domains to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

Strategically, the demonstration reinforces a critical shift in aerial warfare: distributed combat networks, where sensing, tracking, and firing do not need to occur on the same aircraft. In this trial, the Wedgetail managed the battlespace, the Super Hornet served as a crewed node, and the Ghost Bat acted as the autonomous shooter—a structure that promises greater survivability and flexibility in contested airspace.

Future testing is expected to expand the MQ-28’s roles in strike missions, electronic warfare, and multi-vehicle teaming. Defence analysts say CCAs like the Ghost Bat will soon take on high-risk missions, operate as decoys, or carry additional missiles to increase the firepower of crewed fighters.

Comparison: Turkey’s Stealth Drone Achievement

This milestone for Australia comes shortly after Turkey demonstrated its own autonomous air-to-air engagement capability. The Baykar Kızılelma, Turkey’s stealthy, jet-powered unmanned combat aircraft, equipped with an indigenous AESA radar, successfully fired an air-to-air missile to destroy an aerial target during testing. That event was celebrated as Turkey’s first demonstration of a drone performing an air-to-air engagement using its own onboard radar, rather than relying on a manned aircraft or ground station for targeting.

While Kızılelma’s test proved autonomous target detection and missile launch from a stealth UCAV, the MQ-28 test showcased integrated, network-centric combat, where a drone seamlessly operated alongside multiple crewed aircraft and a command-and-control platform.

Together, these milestones signal a rapidly changing global air-combat landscape—one where autonomous aircraft are no longer just scouts or decoys, but fully capable shooters preparing to operate alongside fifth- and sixth-generation fighters in tomorrow’s battles.