TL;DRBoeing upgraded the MQ-28 Ghost Bat with internal weapons and longer range, unveiled at ILA Berlin. It is competing with Helsing’s CA-1 Europa for German combat drone orders.
Boeing unveiled an upgraded version of its MQ-28 Ghost Bat uncrewed combat aircraft at the ILA Berlin air show on Wednesday, adding an internal weapons bay, a 25% larger wing, and 2,000 pounds of additional payload capacity. The upgrades are designed to give Boeing the edge over Helsing, the German AI defence startup whose CA-1 Europa autonomous drone is competing for the same German military contract.
The internal weapons bay can fit four Small Diameter Bombs or two Raytheon AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, according to Glen Ferguson, director of the Ghost Bat’s global programme at Boeing. The expanded wing area extends range and fuel capacity significantly beyond the original design.
The German partnership
Boeing is working with Rheinmetall as the lead systems integration partner for the German version of the MQ-28. Two more German partners were announced on Wednesday: Diehl Defence, which will integrate German air-to-ground weapons and guided missiles into the aircraft, and Rohde & Schwarz, which will contribute its NEMACS broadband communications system for combat cloud connectivity.
