Boeing (NYSE: BA) will bring its MQ-28 Ghost Bat uncrewed combat aircraft to Farnborough International Airshow for the first time, the aerospace giant said in a July 13 pre-show statement, giving Europe's biennial defense audience its closest look yet at the collaborative-combat program Boeing is co-developing with the Royal Australian Air Force.
First Farnborough for Ghost Bat
The MQ-28 will sit in the U.S. Department of Defense corral during the July 20-24 show, marking its Farnborough static-display debut. The aircraft is designed to fly alongside crewed fighters and take on surveillance, electronic warfare and force-multiplication tasks, and has been positioned by Boeing as the anchor of a broader push into autonomous and semi-autonomous air combat.
"Every day is an opportunity to continue building trust as we focus on safety, quality and on-time performance," Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg said. "At Farnborough, we look forward to reconnecting with our customers and suppliers, and strengthening our international partnerships — including Boeing's more than 85-year commitment to the United Kingdom."
Beyond the drone
Boeing's exhibit at Chalet C-620 also features a full-size 777X cabin walk-through, a T-7 fighter-trainer flight-deck simulator and the Cascade Climate Impact Model, a data-visualization tool for benchmarking sustainable-aviation pathways. Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters — one from the U.S. Army and one from the UK Joint Aviation Command — will round out the static line.
Media briefings on the MQ-28 are scheduled for July 21 with global program director Glen Ferguson, and separate P-8 Poseidon updates will feature Captain Broder Nielsen of German Naval Aviation on July 22. The airshow will also see Vertical Aerospace's Valo conduct the first public eVTOL flights ever staged at Farnborough.
Ghost Bat's expanding roles
The MQ-28 first flew in 2021 in Woomera, Australia, and has since been used to test autonomy modes, sensor fusion and multi-aircraft teaming. Boeing has flagged interest from partner nations for domestic MQ-28 production, and the aircraft is expected to figure prominently in future European "loyal wingman" competitions as NATO members lean harder on low-cost autonomous strike platforms.
Reporting based on coverage from Boeing, PR Newswire and Aerospace Global News.