The Collaborative Combat Aircraft made its initial operational sortie beyond the boundaries of the Woomera Training Area as part of Exercise Carlsbad in April 2025 at RAAF Tindal, home to squadrons equipped with F-35A and MQ-4C aircraft.
In early April 2025, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) conducted tests of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) over a period of one week at RAAF Base Tindal located in the Northern Territory. This marked the first instance the aircraft was used outside of the Woomera Training Area in South Australia, which had been its sole operating location since its maiden flight. Boeing and the Australian Department of Defence Initially disclosed the progress on June 20, with additional details unveiled on June 25.
Known as Exercise Carlsbad, the launch of the pilot program at the operational RAAF base follows Boeing Defence Australia's announcement earlier. Jun. 16, 2025 that an E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft controlled Two Ghost Bats were involved in a mission targeting a simulated adversary. The timing of this drill remains uncertain; however, it’s possible that the crewed-drone collaboration could have occurred during Exercise Carlsbad.
Initially, Boeing mentioned that upcoming events would feature both the F/A-18F and F-35 aircraft. It’s worth noting that the RAAF base at Tindal houses not only F-35s but also MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial systems.
The press statement regarding April's "initial assignment at an active site" indicated that the drill also evaluated the process of deploying the MQ-28 in an uncharted setting. Due to this, the plane was moved to RAAF Tindal via a C-17 within just seven days before undertaking its maiden flight, as stated in Boeing’s recent announcement.
Exercise Carlsbad: Commander of the Wing, Phillip Parsons said In the Department of Defense announcement, the C-17 Globemaster conveyed the "capacity directly from the Australian International Air Show." The exhibition took place between March 25 and March 30, 2025, suggesting that Exercise Carlsbad occurred quite early in the first week of April.
The successful conclusion of Exercise Carlsbad "showed that the MQ-28A is capable of conducting missions from a site beyond the Woomera Training Area in South Australia, which until now was the sole operational base for the MQ-28A," stated the press release.
Tested using F-35A and MQ-4C Triton?
Photos provided by both Boeing and the Department of Defense depicted aGhost Bat on the ground, followed by an RAAF F-35A jet taxiing after completing a mission. The images were featured ina brief one-and-a-half-minute video. video As reported by Defence Australia, Wing Commander Philip Parsons mentioned that the MQ-28 group worked alongside No. 17 Squadron, No. 9 Squadron, and No. 75 Squadron based at Tindal to accomplish their objectives. These latter two squadrons stationed at RAAF Tindal manage the operations of the aircraft. MQ-4C Triton ISR UAV and the F-35A Lightning II , respectively.
A different picture displayed the Ghost Bat, the Triton, and the Lightning II lined up at the runway’s edge for an official photo shoot, symbolizing the trio of planes that took part in Exercise Carlsbad.
This implies that the MQ-28A might have interacted with both the F-35A and the MQ-4C Triton. According to the RAAF’s concept, they foresee deploying the MC-55A Peregrine , E-7A Wedgetail as well as multirole aircraft such as the F-35A Lightning II and the E/A-18G Growler As an integrated network comprising multifunctional combat and electromagnetic detection planes.
Illustrations created by Boeing depict the Ghost Bat aircraft in flight alongside the E-7A Wedgetail, next to the F-15EX and the EA-18G Growler. Previously, Boeing has said The AI-powered Ghost Bat has the capability to "function effectively as part of an intelligent team alongside current military planes, enhancing and expanding aerial operations." Additionally, it might be utilized for various roles such as: support role for valuable assistance resources like the E-7A or KC-30 aerial refueling aircraft.
The MQ-28A is designed to “operate alongside manned platforms undertaking tasks typically handled by fighter jets, enhancing and expanding aerial operations while boosting situational awareness and survival rates,” according to an announcement from the Australian Department of Defence.
Therefore, the formal declarations, visuals, caption descriptions, and surrounding circumstances of the drill do not explicitly verify that the Ghost Bat engaged with the F-35A and the MQ-4C in flight. The nature of this engagement is ambiguous but might have included setting up basic communication and data exchange procedures among the aircraft.
Exercise Carlsbad
In the brief video, Wg. Cdr. Philip Parsons mentioned that they carried out several "ground activities — engine tests, general testing on the ground, as well as some high-speed taxi trials at the airstrip — simply to ensure all our systems are functioning correctly." As a remote systems pilot, Parsons additionally stated this. first RAAF and non-Boeing pilots will operate the aircraft using the ground control station. Jun. 13, 2024 .
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat subsequently “took off, completed a circuit, and has returned to RAAF Tindal,” according to Parsons. During ground tests, images show the Ghost Bat elevated on hydraulic lifts with its landing gears descending. Exercise Carlsbad helped determine the “essential elements for capability” concerning “the deployment process and operating from another site using the MQ-28 Ghost Bat,” Parsons further explained.
In the initial operation of the Ghost Bat, which was discussed earlier, Glen Ferguson—who serves as the MQ-28 global program director at Boeing Defence Australia—mentioned that this unmanned aircraft collaborates with piloted planes using what’s known as an 'operator-in-the-loop' method. Despite being equipped with artificial intelligence and capable of operating autonomously, Parsons, who manages the launching and recovering tasks, ensures oversight during ground preparations, along with handling take-offs and landings. This process introduces additional safeguards, and part of Parsons's training encompassed these aspects. watching and tracking the airplane As it carried out instructions to ascend and descend, speed up and slow down, or follow waypoints."
Operational location, unfamiliar environments
Boeing Defence Australia referred to Exercise Carlsbad conducted at RAAF Base Tindal as a demonstration of the autonomous aircraft’s capability to set up operations and be deployed from various unfamiliar settings. According to Ferguson in the statement, this showcased its usefulness “in different scenarios.”
“This deployment [...] establishes a solid base for upcoming capability demonstrations, such as collaborating with manned Royal Australian Air Force assets. Additionally, it gave us a chance to implement several components necessary for integrating the MQ-28 into our forces, which involved coordinating with various Defense organizations and units,” he mentioned.
Defence Australia stated that the "successful conclusion" of Exercise Carlsbad is a step towards their ongoing initiative to evaluate the MQ-28A Ghost Bat via structured tests conducted in real-world and simulated settings. They remain committed to showcasing the capabilities of the MQ-28A platform, payloads, and systems throughout this year in 2025.
The MQ-28A Ghost Bat during Exercise Carlsbad
Notably, the Ghost Bat featured in the video boasts an entirely dark-gray coloration, contrasting with earlier sightings which showed versions featuring numerous orange sections. Among the eight initial production models known as Block 1 Ghost Bats, at most four have been documented sporting this all-dark-gray appearance.
The components of the Ghost Bat observed in recent tests are coated in a deep black color. The model that made its inaugural flight in February 2021 had the serial number PRV-001 and featured a flight data probe (pitot tube) at the front. However, the aircraft spotted during exercises, identified by the serial ATS-005, does not have this data collection device installed.
The acronym ATS could stand for 'Airpower Teaming System,' which was initially the project’s designation. However, it remains uncertain if this refers to a novel production variant within the Block 1 lineup, an unobserved aircraft body that hasn’t yet been captured in images, or perhaps an already constructed unit that has undergone repainting.
The design, which focuses extensively on stealth, has also featured three distinct nose sections. computerized illustrations , featuring what appears to be an integrated FLIR/IRST system (Forward-Looking Infrared/Infrared Search and Track). The aircraft’s 1.5 cubic meter nose compartment is designed to accommodate various interchangeable payloads such as ISR equipment (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), aerial radar surveillance systems, and EW/ELINT capabilities.
So far, eight Block 1 Ghost Bats have been manufactured, with the expectation that the Block 2 models will be completed by 2025. The eight operational Block 1 MQ-28As have thus far carried out 102 test flights. The Aviationist As reported in relation to Saab supplying gear for Australia's Ghost Bats, the development of Block 2 systems will take into account the outcomes from tests conducted on the Block 1 planes.
Although the Block 2 Ghost Bats won’t undergo major alterations in their airframes, they’ll discard the distinctive dogtooth wing design found on the Block 1 models. Instead, improvements will focus on making internal parts more accessible for easier maintenance, along with integrating an updated GPS/Inertial Navigation System (INS).
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