Boeing Defence Australia has completed a landmark weapons test that could redefine the future of autonomous air combat. On December 9, 2025, the company confirmed that an MQ-28A Ghost Bat — a next-generation Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) designed to operate alongside crewed aircraft — successfully fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM during a live-fire mission over South Australia. It was the first time anywhere in the world that an autonomous combat drone launched the widely used beyond-visual-range missile in an operationally realistic environment.
The achievement, Boeing said, demonstrates a fundamental shift in the way air forces can project firepower, combining crewed and uncrewed platforms to extend sensing, strike, and survivability. The event took place during “Trial Kareela 25-4,” part of a broader Australian Defence Force test campaign running from November 17 to December 12 at RAAF Base Woomera.
The mission brought together three of the Royal Australian Air Force’s most important platforms: the MQ-28A Ghost Bat, an E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft, and an F/A-18F Super Hornet. The Ghost Bat was remotely controlled from the Wedgetail while receiving targeting data from the Super Hornet, which tracked a Phoenix jet-powered target drone launched by Qinetiq.
Although Boeing blurred markings that could identify the specific AMRAAM variant, the missile’s profile indicates it was an AIM-120C or a newer derivative. The weapon was mounted externally on a ventral hardpoint — a configuration designed to allow rapid integration of air-to-air or air-to-ground payloads — and was released by a two-arm retracting mechanism before its rocket motor ignited.
A video released alongside the announcement shows the Ghost Bat maneuvering in formation with the F/A-18F, before descending slightly to release the missile. RAAF operators on the Wedgetail coordinated the engagement, maintaining custody of the aircraft and providing engagement authority. While the video does not depict the missile’s impact, Boeing confirmed the fighter-class target drone was successfully destroyed.
“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. She emphasized that the test highlights the operational advantages of specialized CCAs — increased mass, faster data sharing, and the ability to place uncrewed assets in high-risk environments instead of pilot-manned aircraft.
The test illustrates how the Ghost Bat can function as an off-board weapons platform, cuing from other aircraft to engage hostile threats while extending the sensor and weapons envelope of traditional fighters. According to Boeing, the three aircraft launched from separate locations before linking up mid-air. Once the Super Hornet identified the target, the data was relayed to both the Wedgetail and the MQ-28, enabling the autonomous drone to reposition and conduct the engagement.
The RAAF has long viewed the Ghost Bat as a potential escort for vulnerable high-value assets such as the E-7A Wedgetail or KC-30A tanker. The Defence Department previously described the drone as a platform designed to “team with crewed platforms performing mission roles typical of fighter aircraft,” effectively multiplying the reach and survivability of Australia’s air combat fleet.
This latest milestone follows a series of tests throughout 2025. Earlier in the year, Boeing and the RAAF demonstrated the MQ-28’s ability to network with the MQ-4C Triton, the F-35A Lightning II, and even control multiple Ghost Bats from a single Wedgetail operator station. Boeing first hinted at an upcoming live-fire AMRAAM test in March 2025 and reiterated those plans at the Dubai Air Show.
The company is now integrating the lessons of these trials into the Block 2 MQ-28A, which is currently in production and will form the basis of the drone’s Initial Operational Capability with the RAAF. Concept art and previous disclosures indicate that the Ghost Bat’s nose section is modular, allowing it to carry different payloads such as ISR sensors, electronic warfare equipment, or an IRST sensor — the latter already integrated on select Block 1 aircraft.
Colin Miller, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing’s Phantom Works division, said Trial Kareela 25-4 demonstrates the “maturity and sophistication” of the company’s autonomy framework. He noted the program’s rapid pace, highlighting that the integration, testing and live-fire execution took less than eight months thanks to open standards, digital engineering, and government-aligned mission architectures.
The United States is also watching closely. Boeing subtly acknowledged the U.S. Air Force as a partner in the collaborative effort, a sign Washington continues to evaluate the platform. At least one MQ-28 airframe has already been tested in the U.S., and an aircraft resembling the Ghost Bat was spotted during a recent visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to Naval Air Station Point Mugu.
If the USAF elected to procure the MQ-28, shared production could lower costs for both nations. However, it remains unclear whether the Ghost Bat — particularly its upcoming Block 2 configuration — fits into the USAF’s CCA Increment 2 plans. The service is currently flying Anduril’s YFQ-44A and General Atomics’ YFQ-42A prototypes as part of Increment 1 while continuing parallel experiments with the XQ-58A Valkyrie.
The U.S. Navy, meanwhile, recently awarded Boeing and several other companies contracts to develop conceptual designs for a carrier-borne CCA. The Ghost Bat’s appearance at Point Mugu suggests it may also be under evaluation for maritime applications.
With Trial Kareela 25-4, Australia and Boeing have not only validated a major milestone for the Ghost Bat program but also signaled a broader transformation in allied airpower. Autonomous CCAs are no longer theoretical enablers — they are now demonstrating credible, combat-ready capabilities in the air.
