Boeing and Rheinmetall Join Forces to Bring the Ghost Bat to German Skies

Aerospace powerhouses Boeing and Rheinmetall have officially forged a strategic partnership to propel the MQ-28 Ghost Bat into the heart of European defense. Announced today, March 31, 2026, the collaboration aims to provide the German Bundeswehr with a "mature and proven" solution for its urgent Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) requirement, marking a significant escalation in the race to define the future of uncrewed aerial warfare.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will pitch the Australian-developed Ghost Bat as a cornerstone of the German Air Force's (Luftwaffe) future fleet. The partnership positions Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest defense contractor, as the sovereign system manager. In this role, the Düsseldorf-based firm will oversee the integration of the MQ-28 into existing and future German command and weapon systems, while also handling long-term maintenance, logistics, and adaptation to specific national requirements.

A Force Multiplier for the Modern Luftwaffe

The MQ-28 Ghost Bat has rapidly evolved from a secretive prototype into a battle-ready "Loyal Wingman." As of today, the platform has completed more than 150 test flights, demonstrating high-subsonic performance and advanced autonomous behaviors. Designed to fly alongside crewed fighters like the F-35A and the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Ghost Bat serves as a force multiplier that extends sensor reach and adds critical combat mass in highly contested environments.

One of the aircraft's most distinctive features is its modular "mission nose." The entire front section of the fuselage can be swapped out in minutes to reconfigure the drone for reconnaissance, electronic warfare, or kinetic strike missions. This flexibility is a central pillar of the pitch to the German Ministry of Defence, which is seeking an operational CCA capability by 2029.

“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.”

Strategic Competition in German Airspace

The Boeing-Rheinmetall alliance arrives as Germany evaluates multiple pathways for its uncrewed combat fleet. While the Ghost Bat offers a high level of maturity, Airbus is concurrently preparing flight tests for a German-tailored system based on the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie at its Manching facility.

By partnering with Rheinmetall, Boeing is effectively "Germanizing" the Ghost Bat. This move ensures that a significant portion of the platform’s value and the sensitive software development remains within German borders. The collaboration will support a dedicated digital environment in-country where engineers from both nations can test and validate new hardware and software innovations.

Dr. Brendan Nelson, President of Boeing Global, emphasized the international depth of the deal: 

“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. Our partnership will see Germany's industrial base leverage years of Australian innovation and investment to field and evolve MQ-28 for the Bundeswehr.”

Scheduled Demonstration and Evaluation Operations

To facilitate the Bundeswehr’s upcoming flight evaluation phase, Boeing and Rheinmetall have outlined a series of demonstration sorties for the second quarter of 2026. These flights are designed to showcase the MQ-28’s interoperability with German mission systems.

*Ferry flight includes planned refueling stops at Darwin and Al Udeid.

The strategic entry of the Ghost Bat into the German market signals a pivot toward proven, rapid-deployment technologies. By leveraging a platform where the primary development costs have already been borne by Australia, Germany stands to achieve its 2029 operational target with significantly reduced risk. As the flight tests in Manching begin, the industry will be watching to see if this "Australian-born, German-reared" predator will become the standard-bearer for European autonomous aviation.