Boeing Expands MQ-28 Ghost Bat Consortium for Germany

The Boeing Company (BA) has expanded its German industry consortium for the MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), adding Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG and Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co KG to pitch a customized variant of the autonomous drone to the German Air Force (Luftwaffe).

Announced on June 10, 2026, at the ILA Berlin Air Show, the expanded team joins existing strategic partner Rheinmetall AG. The group aims to deliver a tailored version of the Australian-developed aircraft to Germany by 2029, integrating local sensors, communications, and weapons systems to meet national requirements.

Industry partnerships and German customization

The addition of Diehl Defence and Rohde & Schwarz brings specific domestic capabilities to the MQ-28 platform. Diehl Defence will focus on integrating air-to-ground weapons and guided missiles. Chief Executive Officer Helmut Rauch stated the company is prepared to contribute its munitions expertise to offer the CCA to its home country customer.

Rohde & Schwarz will provide secure, interoperable communications architecture. Andreas Domann, Vice President of Multidomain Directional Communications Systems Business, highlighted the integration of the Networked Multipoint Array Communications System (NEMACS) to provide broadband access to the combat cloud.

Rheinmetall AG, which previously joined the team as a strategic partner, is tasked with integrating the MQ-28 into the broader systems of the German Ministry of Defense (Bundeswehr). Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger noted the company is taking responsibility for the seamless integration of the autonomous combat drone into existing military networks.

Upgraded MQ-28 capabilities and stealth validation

Alongside the partnership expansion on June 10, 2026, Boeing unveiled significant capability upgrades for the MQ-28. The new configuration features a wingspan increase of more than 25 percent, allowing for an additional 2,000 pounds of fuel and mission payloads.

The upgraded design includes two internal weapons stations capable of carrying munitions such as AMRAAM missiles or Small Diameter Bombs, as well as Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communication links. The physical expansion follows a June 1, 2026, announcement that Boeing successfully validated the aircraft’s stealth performance and radar cross-section inside a dedicated test chamber.

“That additional capacity gives operators freedom to balance payload and endurance to configure for the mission at hand, whether that means carrying extra fuel for longer-range operations, increasing weapons carriage, or any combination of both,” said Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 Global Program Director at Boeing.

AirPro News analysis

While Boeing and its industry partners are targeting a 2029 delivery date for the Luftwaffe, we note that a formal procurement contract has not yet been finalized. According to reporting by Breaking Defense, the German Ministry of Defense has declined to comment on the timeline prior to pending parliamentary deliberations. The MQ-28 is currently competing against other European CCA concepts to fulfill Germany’s requirement for an unmanned wingman. The aggressive 2029 target suggests Boeing is positioning the Ghost Bat as a mature, low-risk option compared to clean-sheet European designs, leveraging its existing flight test history with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and a localized supply chain.

Sources: The Boeing Company