A Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) teamed-up with a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) E-7A Wedgetail and F/A-18F Super Hornet to destroy a fighter-class target drone with an air-to-air AIM-120 missile in December 2025 | Photo: Boeing
Rheinmetall and Boeing Defence Australia have announced a partnership to offer the MQ-28 Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to Germany’s armed forces. The proposal is aimed at meeting a requirement for Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) capability within the Bundeswehr by 2029. This would be the first sale of the MQ-28 to a foreign customer. During a visit to Australia last week, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Germany was considering the purchase of the MQ-28.
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat is an uncrewed aircraft developed in Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force and allied users. According to the companies, the platform has completed more than 150 test flights and is designed to operate alongside manned aircraft. It is intended to support missions including reconnaissance, electronic warfare and strike operations.
Under the agreement, Rheinmetall will act as the system integrator for the aircraft in Germany. The company will be responsible for adapting the platform to national requirements and integrating it into German command and weapon systems. Rheinmetall will also oversee operational support, maintenance and logistics.
“With Boeing Defence Australia as a partner, we are laying the groundwork to optimally tailor the MQ-28 to the Bundeswehr’s requirements,” said Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG. “As a system integrator, we ensure that integration, operation, and further development come from a single source while simultaneously strengthening industrial value creation in the form of an industrial hub in Germany and Europe. We see revenue potential for Rheinmetall in the range of three-digit millions of euros.”
“This is not just a partnership between our companies but between two great countries, Germany and Australia, who share a similar strategy for integrating collaborative combat aircraft into their air forces,” said Brendan Nelson, president of Boeing Global. “Our partnership will see Germany’s industrial base leverage years of Australian innovation and investment to field and evolve MQ-28 for the Bundeswehr.”
The MQ-28 uses a modular architecture designed to allow upgrades and integration of different mission systems. The partnership also includes plans to establish a digital development environment in Germany to support testing and integration of new capabilities.
The companies said the collaboration is intended to support faster deployment of a CCA capability for Germany while expanding industrial participation within Europe.
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