Rheinmetall and Boeing to Build MQ-28 Ghost Bat Hub in Germany

Rheinmetall AG and The Boeing Company will establish an independent system integration hub in Germany to adapt the MQ-28 Ghost Bat for the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The partnership, announced on August 10, 2026, positions the uncrewed platform to fulfill Germany’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) requirements with a target deployment date of 2029.

According to a joint press release, the localized integration facility will allow the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) to field a proven uncrewed strike-fighter drone rapidly while keeping critical intellectual property, software development, and mission integration within the domestic defense sector.

Localizing the MQ-28 Ghost Bat for the Luftwaffe

The establishment of a German integration hub addresses a core requirement for European defense procurement: sovereign control over mission systems and data. By shifting the integration of domestic technologies to Rheinmetall, Boeing aims to offer an off-the-shelf airframe that still supports the local industrial base.

Mike Schmidt, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Air, Uncrewed and Space business unit, highlighted the strategic balance of the offering.

“Germany does not have to choose between speed and independence. We offer a way to achieve both at the same time,” Schmidt stated.

The August 10 announcement builds on Boeing’s earlier efforts to assemble a localized supply chain. On June 10, 2026, during the ILA Berlin Air Show, Boeing expanded its German industry team for the MQ-28 pitch by adding Diehl Defence for weapons integration and Rohde & Schwarz for communications systems. The project is also being coordinated with HENSOLDT to create a comprehensive domestic network.

Maturing the Collaborative Combat Aircraft platform

The Bundeswehr has set a 2029 target for deploying CCA capabilities. To meet this timeline, Boeing is emphasizing the operational maturity of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat compared to clean-sheet European designs.

The aircraft, which features a range exceeding 2,000 nautical miles, completed its first flight in 2021. As of June 2026, the system had logged over 150 test flights. The MQ-28 also recently deployed to Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 alongside United States forces, marking the first time a collaborative combat aircraft participated in a multinational, joint operational exercise.

Glen Ferguson, Global Director of the MQ-28 program at Boeing Defense Australia, noted the platform’s advanced development status.

“While many CCA programs worldwide are still in the concept, definition or early test phase, the MQ-28A Ghost Bat has already gone through these essential development steps,” Ferguson said.

He added that meeting the 2029 deployment goal requires immediate action on tactics, training, force structure definition, and the integration of sovereign technologies.

AirPro News analysis

We view the Rheinmetall and Boeing partnership as a pragmatic workaround to the traditional friction between rapid procurement and domestic industrial protectionism. Germany faces a tight 2029 deadline to field a CCA capability, a timeline that makes developing a clean-sheet indigenous stealth drone highly improbable. By offering the MQ-28 Ghost Bat as a mature hardware baseline while handing the mission systems and software integration keys to Rheinmetall, Boeing neutralizes the primary political objection to buying foreign defense articles. This hybrid approach allows the Luftwaffe to meet its operational timeline while ensuring German defense contractors retain control over the high-value, sovereign data architecture.

Sources: Rheinmetall