Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy and Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Stephen Chappell, have announced that Australia’s MQ-29A Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) has conducted a successful live missile firing, marking the transition of the program into the operational phase.
The missile firing, involving an AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM), was conducted on the Woomera Test Range on 8 December and successfully destroyed a drone target. The missile shot had previously been hinted at by Boeing Defence Space and Security Chief Executive Steve Parker at the Avalon Air Show back in March. At the time, Parker said that the firing would occur either late this year or early next year.
The RAAF and Boeing Defence Australia become the second team to conduct a successful live missile launch behind Turkey, which reported the launch of a Gökdoğan active radar-guided missile from its indigenous Kizilelma CCA back on 28 November.
Importantly however, Conroy also announced that the Ghost Bat program will receive around $1.2 billion of further funding the move from the current test and evaluation phase to an operational phase.
The latest investment includes new contracts with Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) for six operational Block 2 MQ-28A aircraft and the development of an enhanced Block 3 prototype.
“Australia is at the forefront of efforts to develop and field autonomous collaborative combat aircraft to provide asymmetric advantage and enhanced fighting depth for existing crewed platforms,” Minister for Defence Richard Marles said.
“This landmark demonstration proves the MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a world-leading collaborative combat aircraft made and designed in Australia. The successful weapons demonstration underlines its growing potential to deliver an operational capability for the Royal Australian Air Force.”
“With Ghost Bat, the future of collaborative air combat is right here, right now. Today’s announcement highlights that Australia is leading the world in the development of collaborative combat aircraft,” Minister Conroy said.
“The Ghost Bat transforms a single fighter jet into a formidable team—capable not only of surveillance but also of engaging adversaries. This delivers a vital layer of protection for our aviators who remain our most valuable asset.
“The MQ-28A program is also building a stronger sovereign defence industry and increasing Australia’s resilience with over 70 per cent of this investment remaining on our shores.”
An in-depth review of the Ghost Bat program – and the competition it faces – will appear in the February-March issue of ADM.