The tests ended before expected, and seem to give full satisfaction. Boeing said on September 5 that he had completed the MQ-28 collaborative combat drones campaign, developed by his Australian sector and in cooperation with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).
The test campaign lasted four months, totaling 150 flight hours for the drone and more than 20,000 hours of virtual tests. In detail, it allowed to prove the “autonomous” behavior of the drone, the use of several drones at the same time to obtain a mass effect, collaboration with a air detection and control plane, as well as the merger and the exchange of data between drones and transmission to other aircraft.
Next step: shooting campaigns, which should take place at the end of 2025 or early 2026.
Drone war
Developed by Boeing, the MQ-28 Ghost Bat (“Fantôme Bat”, a editor’s note) is another competitor in the combat drone market that accompanies the combat planes.
This use of drones, which, therefore, can be armed, believed to grow in the coming years, especially in the combat aviation projects of the future, such as Franco-German-Spafanc, Anglo-Ilo-Nippon or the American NGAD or the American NGAD. All plan to attach the action of a piloted plane to one or more drones, piloted at a distance, to carry out combat missions, knock down the air defenses of the opponent … In summary, the aircraft attack force increased.
In France, Dassault Aviation develops the neuron, the German airbus branch presented in 2024 its “Wingman” (extreme), the Spanish Indra pursues the design of its Valerio drone … Other projects, such as the creation of the beginning.
German industry on the front line
On the other side of the RIN, the manufacturers have multiplied the associations with the American producer: Airbus with Kratos for the XQ-48a Valkyrie, the German subsidiary of General Atomics Pure YFQ-42A, but above all, Rheinmetall, which makes almost a double breath, announcing that he wants to associate with Anduril for Anduril for the fury for the fury, but also, but also Lockheed Martin.
Taking into account the need for aircraft of this type in around 400 copies, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said at a press conference in August that “in discussion with these three main partners (Andundil, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, note of the editor). We believe that current programs offer huge opportunities,” he continued.
Source: BFM TV
