MQ-28 Ghost Bat UAV Carried Out its First Combat Launch of AIM-120 Missile

The MQ-28 Ghost Bat combat jet drone carried out its first launch of the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile and shot down an air target.

Boeing reported on this.

The medium-range air-to-air missile was fired in cooperation with the Royal Australian Air Force.

After the MQ-28 took to the skies, its control was taken over by an operator who was on the E-7A Wedgetail long-range radar detection and guidance aircraft of the Australian Air Force, ensuring safety and flight supervision.

Later, the unmanned jet was joined by an Australian F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet to identify and track the airborne target. And as soon as the target was located, data about it was received by all three of the above-mentioned aircraft involved in this test.

The MQ-28 Ghost Bat, having adjusted its position and received permission from the E-7A, successfully used the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile. The target drone, which imitated an enemy fighter jet, was hit.

“This is the first time an autonomous aircraft has fired an AIM-120 air-to-air missile, making the MQ-28 a combat-ready CCA (Collaborative Combat Aircraft) combat drone,” Amy List, managing director of Boeing Defense Australia, stated.

So far, drones of this type have not yet reached this level of readiness and have not used the AIM-120 in actual launches. Only Turkey has recently used its Kizilelma jet drone to destroy an airborne target with a Gökdoğan medium-range air-to-air missile.

Ghost Bat

The MQ-28 Ghost Bat is positioned as an autonomous combat system capable of detecting, fixing, tracking, and engaging targets. Its use reduces the burden on manned aircraft.

In the future, it will be able to conduct air combat, attack air and ground targets, conduct reconnaissance and surveillance autonomously or under pilot control. At the same time, it will reduce the risk to people.

The MQ-28 has a modular design that allows integration of various types of weapons, sensors, and payloads; the vehicle’s nose is a replaceable module. Some prototypes are already equipped with IRST infrared sensors that detect subtle airborne targets without emitting their own radiation, thereby increasing resistance to electronic warfare.

AMRAAM

The AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile) is a medium-range air-to-air missile that underpins the long-range capabilities of most Western fighters in countering air targets. It can engage targets over 100 kilometers away, depending on the modification. Its use by drones significantly expands their combat capabilities in countering enemy aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles.