Boeing + Rheinmetall on MQ‑28 Ghost Bat
Boeing and Rheinmetall announced a partnership to develop the MQ‑28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft for Germany by 2029, signaling cross‑company design work that will need early‑career aerodynamicists experienced in collaborative, system‑level aircraft design. The program underscores multinational co‑development trends in combat and unmanned aircraft. (x.com/AviationWeek/status/2039072015357706645)
Rheinmetall will act as the MQ‑28 system manager in Germany, responsible for integration into Bundeswehr command and weapons systems and for adapting the platform to national requirements. (rheinmetall.com) Boeing Defence Australia’s MQ‑28 has accumulated more than 150 test flights and performed a live‑fire intercept that destroyed an aerial target drone in December 2025. (aviationweek.com) The December 2025 Trial Kareela demonstration launched a Raytheon AIM‑120 AMRAAM and executed the mission using four high‑level human commands while the aircraft autonomously managed intercept geometry, weapon release parameters and tactical positioning. (aeronauticsmagazine.com) Competing bids for Germany’s CCA requirement include Airbus partnering with Kratos (XQ‑58A Valkyrie), interest from General Atomics (YFQ‑42A lineage), and home‑grown entrants such as Helsing’s CA‑1, according to industry reporting on the procurement race. ( ) Rheinmetall says the deal envisions a dedicated German/European industrial hub and an in‑country digital engineering environment for joint software and hardware testing, and it estimates potential revenue in the "three‑digit millions of euros" range from a German contract. (rheinmetall.com) Company disclosures and press reporting note Rheinmetall held broader talks in 2025 with Boeing, Lockheed and others, and CEO comments have previously suggested Germany could require on the order of 400 collaborative combat aircraft. ( )
