JavaScript Required

Jumpseat Aerospace News requires JavaScript to function. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings to continue.

MQ-28 Ghost Bat Completes Live Air-to-Air Missile Firing

December 9, 2025

3 min read

Key Takeaways

MQ-28 Ghost Bat conducts first live air-to-air missile firing.
Test involved a Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.
MQ-28 operated with RAAF E-7A Wedgetail and F/A-18F Super Hornet.
Missile integration completed in under eight months.

Silver membership required Upgrade to Silver to access Key Takeaways.

Upgrade

Strategic Implications

This successful test may indicate the MQ-28's readiness for operational deployment, suggesting a significant advancement in unmanned air combat capabilities. The integration of the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile could enhance the aircraft's combat effectiveness, which may have implications for future military procurement and the development of collaborative combat systems.

Silver membership required Upgrade to Silver to access Strategic Implications.

Upgrade

What Happened

Boeing And Royal Australian Air Force Achieve Key Milestone In Combat Aircraft Development

Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have successfully conducted the first live air-to-air missile firing by an MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft. The test saw the MQ-28 destroy a fighter-sized aerial target using a Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM missile during an operationally representative mission, flying alongside an RAAF E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft and an F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter. The achievement demonstrates the aircraft’s ability to operate as part of a networked force, sharing sensor and targeting data across platforms. According to Boeing, the missile integration was completed in under eight months, thanks to the aircraft’s open-architecture design and modular mission systems. This milestone was reported by AeroTime.

Source

Companies Mentioned