Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) have successfully executed a force-integrated, air-to-air autonomous weapon engagement using an MQ-28 Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The landmark mission involved an MQ-28 Ghost Bat teaming with a RAAF E-7A Wedgetail and an F/A-18F Super Hornet to destroy a fighter-class target drone.
“This is the first time an autonomous aircraft has completed an air-to-air weapon engagement with an AIM-120 missile, establishing the MQ-28 as a mature combat-capable CCA,” said Amy List, Managing Director of Boeing Defence Australia. “This achievement proves the advantage specialized CCA platforms bring to mission effectiveness, delivering increased operational mass and data exchange while reducing cost and crewed pilot risk.”
Key mission highlights: The MQ-28, E-7A, and F/A-18F launched from separate locations. An E-7A operator took custodianship of the MQ-28, ensuring safety and engagement oversight. The F/A-18F teamed with the MQ-28 in combat formation to provide sensor coverage. Once the Super Hornet identified and tracked the target, targeting data was shared across all three platforms. The MQ-28 adjusted its position, received authorization from the E-7A, and destroyed the target using a Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM missile.
Colin Miller, Vice President and General Manager for Phantom Works at Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said: “This exercise demonstrates the maturity of Boeing’s mission autonomy solution, built on open standards and government architectures, capable of integrating with fourth, fifth, and sixth-generation aircraft. The team developed the necessary hardware, software, and mission systems to integrate, test, and employ the weapon in a live scenario in under eight months.”
