Boeing says its MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone is on schedule to conduct its first live-fire test next month, launching an AIM-120 AMRAAM in a tactically realistic engagement over Australia’s Woomera Range, according to Joseph Trevithick of The WarZone. The milestone would mark the first known air-to-air missile shot by a CCA-type drone. Boeing reports the MQ-28 program is “hitting its stride” as the Royal Australian Air Force expands testing with its fleet of prototypes and prepares for improved Block 2 aircraft. Interest is growing globally, with potential customers including the US Navy and Poland. The MQ-28’s modular design, demonstrated pairing with the E-7 Wedgetail, and future growth options position it as a leading contender in the rapidly emerging market for autonomous combat drones. Trevithick writes:

Boeing says its MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone is on track for its first live-fire weapons shot, which will be of an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), next month. The company says the MQ-28’s development is otherwise now “hitting its stride,” amid talk of new customers, possibly including the U.S. Navy and Poland. Boeing’s Australian subsidiary first began development of the Ghost Bat for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), which has already conducted extensive flight testing with its fleet of eight prototypes.

Steve Parker, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space, and Security, provided a general update on the MQ-28 program at a media roundtable ahead of the 2025 Dubai Airshow in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), at which TWZ was in attendance. Boeing officials had said on various occasions earlier this year that the AMRAAM shot could come in late 2025 or early 2026. […]

The test itself will be carried out over the sprawling Woomera Range Complex (WRC) in southern Australia and reflect “a tactically relevant scenario,” according to Parker. The MQ-28 will attempt to down a real airborne target with the AIM-120. […]

With the planned AIM-120 shot next month, the MQ-28 is now set to take another important step toward a real operational capability for the RAAF, and potentially other operators.

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