Uncrewed Aircraft

Australia has moved to procure its first operational batch of MQ-28 Ghost Bat uncrewed aircraft, signing a reported contract worth approximately AU$1 billion (USD$660 million) with Boeing for an initial six air vehicles. This milestone marks a critical transition of the Ghost Bat program from extended flight testing into formal acquisition by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), making the MQ-28 the first Australian-designed military aircraft to enter service since the GAF Nomad in the 1970s.

Northrop Grumman has introduced Project Talon, a paradigm shift in autonomous combat aircraft design that prioritizes rapid manufacturing and affordability without compromising advanced capabilities. Unveiled on December 3, 2025, at Mojave Air and Space Port, Talon signals a strategic recalibration for Northrop following the Air Force’s emphasis on cost-effectiveness in the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) initiative. The development timeline alone underscores the program’s manufacturing-first philosophy. From program inception to ‘weight on wheels,’ Project Talon required just 15 months—a compressed schedule more typical of commercial aviation prototyping than traditional military aircraft development. Northrop projects first flight within approximately nine months, maintaining a two-year development window that demonstrates unprecedented agility in the defense sector.