Saab Australia joins Ghost Bat program

Ghost Bat, unveiled to the world in May 2020, is the first military aircraft designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia in over 50 years. It uses AI to help both crewed and uncrewed aircraft in mid-air, hence its previous Australian project name, Loyal Wingman.

Saab joins over 200 other companies involved in the MQ-28 program, co-developed by Boeing Australia and the RAAF.

“In the past year, we have increased the number of Australian companies engaged in platform development from 55 to 74, reflecting our commitment to fostering local industry collaboration,” said Glen Ferguson, Boeing MQ-28 global program director.

“By incorporating Saab’s proven electromechanical actuation equipment, we’re accelerating our efforts to meet operational requirements while evolving a truly global capability.”

Ferguson also emphasised the maturity of the supply chain as a testament to progress, highlighting Boeing’s dedication to creating growth opportunities for Australian companies and advancing towards an operationally capable platform, with plans to explore markets beyond Australia.

It comes after Australian Aviation reported how three ‘second-generation’ prototypes of the Ghost Bat are expected to be complete by the end of this year.

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Boeing has produced eight MQ-28A prototype aircraft so far, with three Block 2 variants currently in production.

“The Ghost Bat is designed to act as a force multiplier, providing the Royal Australian Air Force with affordable mass and flexibility in its force mix while reducing risk to existing crewed assets,” a Boeing Australia spokesperson said.

“We have worked closely with RAAF to mature the concept of operations for MQ-28.

“We have made significant progress in the last two years to mature the Ghost Bat capabilities, and we are working towards being able to deliver an operational capability to the Royal Australian Air Force in the next few years.

“MQ-28 was conceived, produced and tested at record speed, and recently Boeing and RAAF marked more than 100 hours of flight testing and 20,000 hours in the digital environment.”

Since its unveiling, the program has achieved several key milestones. Most recently, in August, a RAAF member took control of the aircraft for the first time.

Wing Commander Phil Parsons, the first non-Boeing pilot to take part in the testing, executed commands such as making the aircraft climb, descend, accelerate, and decelerate.