Australia to commit $1 billion to ‘Ghost Bat’, nation’s first home-grown combat aircraft in 50yrs
A massive funding boost will transform an experimental Australian aircraft - the first of its kind to be built in Australia in over 50 years - into a fully-functioning war-fighting platform.
Australia’s first home-grown combat aircraft in over 50 years is set to move from prototype to production, with the federal government set to announce more than $1 billion in funding to boost collaborative air capabilities.
The announcement will include fresh contracts with Boeing Defence Australia to deliver an initial six operational Block 2 MQ-28A Ghost Bats - a major step in transforming the experimental program into a fully functioning war-fighting platform for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
It is understood the government will outline how the new aircraft will form the backbone of a future operational air combat capability within the Royal Australian Air Force.
The major investment is part of a broader $10 billion commitment to drones over the next decade, including at least $4.3 billion for uncrewed aerial systems.
Since 2019, more than $2.34 billion has been invested in the Ghost Bat project.
The federal government is responsible for $1.72 billion of that in just the past two years.
The Ghost Bat, a sleek, autonomous “loyal wingman” designed to fly alongside advanced fighter jets, is the first combat aircraft designed, engineered and manufactured on Australian soil in more than 50 years.
The program currently supports more than 440 highly skilled jobs across the country and more than 35 Australian companies have contributed to the aircraft’s development.
The MQ-28A is classified as a Collaborative Combat Aircraft, able to use its advanced sensors and artificial intelligence to carry out missions traditionally performed by fighter jets.
The platform can team with crewed aircraft including the Joint Strike Fighter, Super Hornet, Wedgetail early warning aircraft and the P-8 Poseidon, effectively multiplying the combat power of a single fighter into a networked team.
According to the Royal Australian Air Force, the Ghost Bat is a “pathfinder” program for integrating autonomous systems and artificial intelligence into smart human-machine teams.
The aircraft has a range of more than 3700km and has been purpose-built to explore levels of automation, autonomy and human-machine teaming.
Its development has been bolstered by a 2023 collaboration agreement with the United States, enabling classified technology sharing and joint work on aircraft behaviours, payloads, sensors and datalinks.
Throughout 2025, the Ghost Bat completed a series of significant capability demonstrations, including the simultaneous control of two MQ-28As by a single operator aboard an E-7A Wedgetail, the integration of newly developed sensor payloads into the aircraft, and its first deployment beyond the Woomera test range, operating from RAAF Base Tindal in the Northern Territory.
The government has previously signalled that the Ghost Bat will conduct a live air-to-air missile firing against a moving target before the end of the year, a milestone that would mark its arrival as a frontline-ready weapon system.
Originally published as Australia to commit $1 billion to ‘Ghost Bat’, nation’s first home-grown combat aircraft in 50yrs
