Rheinmetall AG and Boeing Defence Australia have announced a strategic partnership to offer the MQ-28 Ghost Bat as a solution for the Bundeswehr Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) requirement, with entry into service targeted by 2029.
Developed in Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force and allied partners, the MQ-28 has already surpassed 150 test flights. Designed as an autonomous force multiplier, the platform is intended to operate alongside crewed aircraft, delivering enhanced combat mass in contested environments. Its modular architecture enables mission flexibility across reconnaissance, electronic warfare and weapons integration.
Under the agreement, Rheinmetall will act as system manager in Germany, responsible for integrating the MQ-28 into existing and future Bundeswehr command and weapon systems, adapting the platform to national requirements and ensuring lifecycle support including maintenance and logistics.
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger emphasised the importance of the collaboration, noting that the partnership will enable tailored integration while strengthening Germany’s defence industrial base through the establishment of a regional hub. He also highlighted potential revenues in the hundreds of millions of euros.
The partnership is structured to ensure sovereign capability development and supply security within Germany, supported by a dedicated in-country digital engineering environment. This will allow teams from Germany and Australia to jointly test, validate and evolve both software and hardware components of the MQ-28.
According to Brendan Nelson, President of Boeing Global, the collaboration represents not only an industrial partnership but also a strategic alignment between Germany and Australia in advancing CCA capabilities.
By leveraging Australia’s prior investment and development of the MQ-28, the partnership aims to accelerate delivery timelines and provide the Bundeswehr with a mature scalable autonomous combat capability by the end of the decade.
