Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) to participate in a multinational joint military exercise, demonstrating its operational readiness and sustainment capabilities during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Australian-developed autonomous aircraft operated alongside a wide range of crewed platforms, including the F-35A, F-35B, F-15EX, HC-130, E-3, E-2D, EA-18G and RC-135 aircraft, supporting the US Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit in validating collaborative combat aircraft integration concepts. The exercise, held in June around the Marianas Island Range Complex, provided valuable insights into CCA deployment, sustainment and agile combat employment in multinational operations.
According to Boeing, the exercise enabled allied forces to evaluate how autonomous aircraft can be rapidly integrated into joint missions while supporting human-machine teaming concepts designed to extend the operational reach, situational awareness and effectiveness of crewed aircraft.
Steve Parker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said the participation marked an important step in demonstrating the operational maturity of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. “Having MQ-28 participate in such a significant military training exercise is a first, and this is just the start of demonstrating how advanced human-machine teaming extends the reach and awareness of crewed platforms and enhances joint force operations,” Parker said. “We’ve proven that it’s combat capable and now the US military, along with allied and partner forces, can test it first-hand and experience the value and advantage that collaborative combat aircraft bring to the force mix.”
Developed with open mission systems and government reference architectures, the MQ-28 is designed to integrate mission-specific sovereign payloads and operate alongside fourth-, fifth- and future sixth-generation fighter aircraft. Boeing said the aircraft’s modular architecture supports rapid capability upgrades and simplifies integration with allied defence forces, offering long-term sustainment flexibility.
Amy List, Vice President and Managing Director of Boeing Defence Australia, said the latest deployment demonstrated the platform’s readiness for operational use by allied air forces. “MQ-28 Ghost Bat is the most proven, mature collaborative combat aircraft in allied nations and this latest demonstration highlights our readiness to bring this Australian-developed capability to global air forces,” List said.
Exercise Valiant Shield is a biennial multinational exercise that focuses on joint force integration across air, land, sea and cyber domains. For Boeing, the deployment represents another step in validating the MQ-28’s operational capability while providing defence operators with practical experience in autonomous aircraft deployment, sustainment and interoperability within coalition environments.
