Indo-Pacific — 2026-05-29

Australian MQ-28 Ghost Bat Autonomous Combat Drone Now Flying From US Navy Base in Pacific

BLUFBoeing is unlikely to win a Navy CCA contract incorporating the MQ-28 by the end of 2026, betting instead on allied-facility performance data to drive Japanese and German export sales.

Boeing confirmed on May 27 that the MQ-28 Ghost Bat flew three sorties at the Point Mugu Sea Range in California, its first operations outside Australia 1234. The flights validated autonomous systems, allied-facility deployment, and payload integration, though Boeing has not disclosed when they occurred 124. Program director Glen Ferguson described the Point Mugu activity as part of Boeing's effort to "further prove the maturity of the program and inform future exportability" 24, with Boeing publicly naming Japan and Germany as target markets 1. The War Zone noted that Boeing holds a September 2025 Navy contract for conceptual carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft design work alongside Anduril, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman, but Boeing's announcement made no mention of a U.S. Navy role in the Point Mugu flights 1.

Analysis
Boeing is unlikely to receive a Navy CCA follow-on contract incorporating the MQ-28 by December 31, 2026. High confidence rests on three converging indicators: the Navy's acknowledged lag behind the Air Force and Marine Corps on CCA development, the early-stage distribution of the September 2025 conceptual award across four competitors, and Boeing's omission of any Navy role from the Point Mugu announcement. The last point draws on The War Zone's analytical context absent from other outlets amplifying Boeing's press release. The flights signal Boeing is hedging toward export revenue rather than awaiting Navy CCA clarity. The Navy's silence may instead reflect an active parallel evaluation both parties chose to keep out of Boeing's export-oriented announcement. Japanese and German procurement planners targeting a 2028 Block 3 fielding timeline will enter negotiations with Boeing carrying operational allied-facility data but no U.S. service commitment.

5 sources

MQ-28 Ghost Bat Now Flying Over The Pacific From US Navy Base - The War Zone
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat is Now Flying in the U.S. - The Aviationist
Boeing completes first international flight with MQ-28 autonomous fighter - FlightGlobal
Ghost Bat completes first international flight - Australian Defence Magazine
Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat First International Flight – Point Mugu - Boeing Media Room