At least six locally made “Ghost Bat” drones will be added to the Defence Force arsenal in a $1 billion push to accelerate the military’s adoption of autonomous technologies that are transforming modern warfare.
As Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong meet their US colleagues in Washington for annual talks on Tuesday, the Albanese government will announce that the MQ-28A Ghost Bat will move from the prototype stage to become a fully operational war-fighting asset.
A Ghost Bat drone successfully fired an air-to-air missile on an aerial target in previously undisclosed exercises on Monday, paving the way for the announcement, said sources who were not authorised to speak publicly.
The Ghost Bat is the first military combat aircraft to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years.
Developed by the Air Force and Boeing Australia, the Ghost Bat is packed with advanced sensors and is expected to have a range of more than 3700 kilometres.
Operating without any personnel on board, the drones are designed to act as a loyal wingman to traditional platforms such as the Joint Strike Fighter and Super Hornet, teaming up for operations that would previously have been conducted only by crewed aircraft.
Boeing’s Ghost Bat is among several military drone projects in Australia.Credit: Department of Defence
“The Ghost Bat has the potential to turn a single fighter jet into a fighting team, with advanced sensors that are like hundreds of eyes in the sky,” Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said in June.
The government will sign contracts for an initial six Ghost Bats with Boeing Australia, with more expected to follow if the program is successful. Ghost Bats could be exported to other countries, including the US.
