Boeing Australia and the Royal Australian Air Force have achieved a major milestone in the MQ-28 flight test program, with the loyal wingman drone completing its 100th test flight.
Speaking at the Avalon International Air Show in Australia, Boeing Defense, Space and Security interim president and CEO Steve Parker said, “This milestone demonstrates the maturity of our program in a growing market and is a testament to Boeing’s groundbreaking lead in developing collaborative combat aircraft capabilities for current and future applications.”
The flight test program will culminate in a series of demonstrations later this year which will include MQ-28 aircraft teaming with crewed assets, such as E-7 and F-35, to complete operationally relevant missions.
The 100th flight also showcased the operational paint scheme which is on display at Avalon Airshow for the first time.
The Ghost Bat was first revealed in 2019 and rolled-out officially in March 2020. The aircraft made its first flight in March 2021 and was renamed Ghost Bat in 2022.
Loyal Wingmen, also called Collaborative Combat Aircraft by the US Air Force are semi-autonomous drones that work with and under the control of a piloted fighter jet aircraft to deliver MUM-T (Manned UnManned Teaming) operations. Several of the drones, which will conduct high risk operations instead of the piloted aircraft such as reconnaissance are in development around the world with their introduction planned during the 2030s.
