FARNBOROUGH, UK: As Europe ramps up its rearmament drive, US aerospace giant Boeing is seeking a foothold in the emerging market for autonomous fighter aircraft, showcasing its capabilities at the Farnborough airshow this week.
Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat is an uncrewed aircraft, developed with the Royal Australian Air Force, to fly alongside crewed fighter jets carrying out electronic warfare and surveillance and to help multiply forces.
It belongs to a category of AI-enabled Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) which have risen to prominence as a new type of drone, as unmanned systems dominate the battlefield in Ukraine.
Boeing hopes to win over the European market by partnering with local defense companies.
In Germany, defense group Rheinmetall has teamed up with Boeing to integrate the MQ-28 into the German Air Force, with the capability expected to be available by 2029.
