Boeing unveils upgraded MQ-28 Ghost Bat with larger wing, internal weapons stations and extended combat reach

The enhancements include a wingspan increase of more than 25 percent. Boeing said the larger wing allows the MQ-28 to carry an additional 2,000 pounds of fuel, stores and mission payloads.
The aircraft can also be provisioned to carry two AMRAAM missiles or four small diameter bombs internally. Boeing said the changes are designed to give operators more options when configuring the aircraft for specific missions.

“That additional capacity gives operators freedom to balance payload and endurance to configure for the mission at hand, whether that means carrying extra fuel for longer-range operations, increasing weapons carriage, or any combination of both,” said Glen Ferguson, MQ-28 global program director. “These features, developed in partnership with the Royal Australian Air Force, will be progressively released to the fleet through a spiral upgrade program, and are available to interested allied countries.”

Boeing also detailed software development upgrades that comply with Government Reference Architecture standards. The company said open standards allow operators to tailor weapons, payloads, command and control and mission autonomy to meet operational requirements.

The upgrades include a modular, missionized nose designed to provide enhanced payload configuration options. Boeing said this also supports the insertion of third-party capability.

Boeing said the MQ-28 will receive Beyond Line of Sight communication links. This will allow the aircraft’s custodian to operate it from a crewed aircraft, ground station or naval vessel at unlimited standoff distances.

The platform will also include two internal weapons stations, each able to carry one AMRAAM missile or two small diameter bombs. Provision for three external weapons stations is also included to provide additional mission flexibility for combat operations.

“Inclusion of features such as BLOS capability are a direct result of our learnings to date along with feedback from Air Forces as they understand more about the role and integration of CCAs into joint force operations,” Ferguson said. Boeing said the upgrades improve the MQ-28’s usefulness for collaborative combat aircraft operations.

“The advanced maturity of the MQ-28 systems is what allows us to continually adapt to the changing operational environment and minimise the risk as we transition to operations,” said Amy List, vice president and managing director of Boeing Defence Australia. “Combined with the MQ-28’s confirmed low observability characteristics, and survivability upgrades, these capability enhancements support more flexible mission concepts and further allow Defence customers to distribute operational risk.”

Boeing said the new features improve interchangeability and interoperability with both Boeing and non-Boeing platforms for allied forces. The company said the MQ-28 offers a configurable and mission-adaptable solution that can be tailored to sovereign operational needs.

The upgraded MQ-28 has a maximum take-off weight increased from 10,000 pounds to 12,000 pounds. Boeing said the aircraft has a useful load of more than 4,500 pounds, internal stores capacity for two AMRAAM missiles or four small diameter bombs, and the option for three external weapon stations if required.