Boeing has delivered a briefing update on its MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), currently on display at Farnborough International Airshow, confirming the addition of Leonardo as an official European partner.
Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 Program Global Director, announced on Jul. 21, 2026 at Farnborough International Airshow that Leonardo, Eton, and Hensoldt have joined as international parters as Boeing pitches the Ghost Bat to more and more customers. Eton manufactures the payload launch system, and offers both ITAR and non-ITAR variants. Leonardo has worked with the Ghost Bat team for eight years, contributing electronic systems, but has now formally become an official program partner.
Hensoldt will work specifically on the MQ-28 for the German market – their exact contribution is unconfirmed, but Ferguson notes that the aim is to build a library of knowledge in their partners so there will always be capabilities available should a customer require them rather than targeting capabilities directly.
Interesting: @LDO_Aeronautics among the European companies partnering with @BoeingDefense on the MQ-28 Ghost Bat pic.twitter.com/sdmC3WOB6K
— The Aviationist (@TheAviationist) July 21, 2026
The Ghost Bat on display at Farnborough first flew five years ago, and was the second airframe constructed. It has now been withdrawn from service as the focus turns to newer aircraft with iterative improvements. Compared to the latest designs, the MQ-28 displayed features a 25% smaller wing. A 3.3 meter addition to the aircraft’s wingspan is designed to maximize the aircraft’s adaptability for different mission sets and expand its operational range with a larger fuel load.
New developments to coming to Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat CCA, internal weapon bays (2 X AMRAAM or 4 X SBDs) modular nose, BVLOS comms, and bigger wing. #avgeek #FIA2026 pic.twitter.com/CzEhOsujK9
— Tim Robinson (@RAeSTimR) July 21, 2026
It is displayed alongside an MBDA Meteor missile. Ferguson confirmed that, while the specific timeline for a test firing has yet to be finalized, they are working with MBDA to integrate a wide range of additional weapons capabilities. He noted that a test firing may not even be necessary owing to the advanced nature of the simulation software, suggesting all trials could be carried out virtually.
The MQ-28 is in discussion with a number of countries, but has no specific public plan to pitch the aircraft anywhere other than Germany. Discussions are flowing naturally as customers become more and more focused on the fielding of CCAs. As soon as a customer orders a suitable number of aircraft, Boeing is prepared to provide for sovereign manufacturing wherever necessary. The company does not expect to follow a ‘megafactory’ style of manufacturing process with the Ghost Bat.
Sovereignty over the aircraft is also reinforced by its modularity. The nose section, interchangeable with just a handful of bolts, can be swapped rapidly for other configurations, allowing different sensor packages to be carried according to mission requirements. Maintenance is simplified as much as possible, and it was noted that Ghost Bat was able to be turned around between exercise sorties as quickly as 19 minutes.
When participating in the U.S. Valiant Shield exercise, MQ-28 flew nine sorties across 6-7 days, requiring no infrastructure. More overseas exercises are said to be on the way.
Ghost Bat passed 200 flight hours last month, but many times more have been flown in virtual environments. The company says the physical airframes could have flown over 1,000 hours by now, but the maturity of the virtual environments available means this is not deemed necessary. They “fly to validate”.
🇺🇲🇦🇺 A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II, assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, and a Boeing Defence Australia MQ-28 Ghost Bat are seen here over the Philippine Sea during exercise Valiant Shield 26.
(📸/USAF) pic.twitter.com/GPadTugBIB
— Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) July 2, 2026
The jet’s protracted development, spanning many years, has drawn criticism but the company says its priority is on making sure the aircraft is mature and ready to operate rather than achieving incremental goals. Much of this time has been spent on mission systems development.
While the current focus is on providing a ‘loyal wingman’ to fighter aircraft, supporting other platforms like the E-7 Wedgetail and P-8 Poseidon are very much on the cards. When MQ-28 achieved its first live test firing of an AIM-120 AMRAAM – an event that passed unremarkably due to the many times it had been simulated – the target was sent to the MQ-28 by an E-7.
Ghost Bat is designed specifically to complement rather than replace crewed aircraft. It is, the company said, not simply an uncrewed fighter but an additional capability that expands mission capabilities and distributes risk.
Ferguson said CCAs are “critical to the future” of warfare.
