Jane Edwards
Boeing provided the public a first look at its MQ-28 Ghost Bat unmanned aerial system housed at the company’s Phantom Works facility outside St. Louis, Breaking Defense reported Thursday.
The defense contractor unveiled Ghost Bat months after the U.S. Air Force announced that it was planning to begin flight experiments with the UAS to learn how to operate and integrate combat drones with its fighter jets.
The service branch is looking to deploy a fleet of 1,000 unmanned collaborative combat aircraft that can fly alongside fighter planes in battle.
Ghost Bat is a 38-foot-long uncrewed platform originally developed by Boeing for the Australian air force. The drone uses artificial intelligence and comes with sensor packages to support tactical early warning and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
Boeing’s defense business introduced Ghost Bat alongside an MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueling drone in a tweet posted Thursday.
The company described Ghost Bat as an autonomous platform designed to “expand airborne missions.”
