Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS) - MQ-28 Ghost Bat

Actually, they could also have just stayed with "Loyal Wingman". I know it has become somewhat of a generic term for this class of platform, but why not?
 
Because that name just doesn't inspire the esprit de corps (and terror in the minds of the enemy) as "Droney McDropbear".
 
aim9xray said:
Because that name just doesn't inspire the esprit de corps (and terror in the minds of the enemy) as "Droney McDropbear".
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Well of course if you introduce DropBears to the equation that changes everything...

611b9432db73ae892086de2b4243f185--computer-art-sci-fi-art.jpg
 
Being a Boeing product it probably had to have a "Ghost" or "Phantom" in it.
Personally i found it interesting as long as they were doing the old McDonnell thing of going through spooky creatures (Voodoo, Banshee, Phantom, Goblin, Demon, etc.), but just adding the "Phantom" or "Ghost" prefix to everything sounds stupid ("Phantom Eye" anyone?)
 
So - what changed that Boeing can clean-sheet a drone from concept to flight in 3 years, but only in Australia?

Meanwhile, the Loyal-Wingman program in the US is stuck with a retrofitted target drone that needs rocket-assisted takeoff.

It is as if some step-change was made in design and manufacturing ability, without any fanfare?
 
Good question. The obvious buzzword is 'digital thread', but TBH who knows how much this shaves. It could be that the conceptual studies were begun before three years ago, also saving some time. Or perhaps the vehicle is just comparatively simple?
But maybe the Australian team was just very good an had access to the resources they needed. I think often design teams are hampered by issues that are programmatic and not technical.
 
DrRansom said:
So - what changed that Boeing can clean-sheet a drone from concept to flight in 3 years, but only in Australia?

Meanwhile, the Loyal-Wingman program in the US is stuck with a retrofitted target drone that needs rocket-assisted takeoff.

It is as if some step-change was made in design and manufacturing ability, without any fanfare?
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Australia has been big into rapid prototyping and smart manufacturing for years. Much of our mass production of completed items was killed during our political and business obsession with being a quarry and a financial center, but rapid prototyping and agile small batch production has gone from strength to strength.

You don't get economies of scale, but you can produce what is needed, when it is needed, so long as the customer is willing and able to pay.
 
And as for the name, the following are partially responsible:

20220321raaf8659008_120.t6237f11e.m2400.xA7di4LTXJoapMZc_.jpg


Royal Australian Air Force members Flight Sergeant Stephan Barchard and Corporal David Grieger (left) stand with the MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland, after winning the Airpower Teaming System naming competition.

How often do you see the exact people who came up with a name for an aircraft?
 
orrison Government’s investment in Loyal Wingman Program to strengthen Australia’s air combat capability
The Royal Australian Air Force’s Air Combat capability will be bolstered with the addition of uncrewed autonomous systems as part of the Morrison Government’s additional investment of $454 million in the Loyal Wingman Program.

Minister for Defence, Peter Dutton, said the investment will deliver seven uncrewed autonomous aerial vehicles - recently named MQ-28A Ghost Bat – to come into service with the RAAF within the next two years.
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The Australian Government seems to make more investments and orders on MQ-28.
 
Fluss said:
orrison Government’s investment in Loyal Wingman Program to strengthen Australia’s air combat capability
The Royal Australian Air Force’s Air Combat capability will be bolstered with the addition of uncrewed autonomous systems as part of the Morrison Government’s additional investment of $454 million in the Loyal Wingman Program.

Minister for Defence, Peter Dutton, said the investment will deliver seven uncrewed autonomous aerial vehicles - recently named MQ-28A Ghost Bat – to come into service with the RAAF within the next two years.
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The Australian Government seems to make more investments and orders on MQ-28.
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Take that with a grain of salt. There is an Australian election on today which will most likely result in a change of Government. This was nothing more than an election promise/carrot and not a firm commitment since they can't make firm commitments during an election. It will be up to the new incoming government to decide what happens.
 
Grey Havoc said:

AI-Piloted Concepts Emerge As U.S. Air Force Ponders Options | Aviation Week Network

U.S. defense industry embraces flexibility and diversity in aircraft design for a future fleet of proposed Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
aviationweek.com aviationweek.com
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Three distinct classes of aircraft piloted by artificial intelligence have emerged as options to fly alongside current and future U.S. Air Force fighters. The candidates range from expendable to exquisite systems, with a potential middle tier of attritable aircraft that leverage modular design features inspired by the automotive industry.

All of these concepts were on full display inside the exhibit hall of the Air Force Association’s annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference, which celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Air Force as an independent branch of the military.

On the high end, Northrop Grumman’s booth featured a concept model of the SG-101, the latest example of the company’s long line of advanced flying-wing aircraft. Lockheed Martin, meanwhile, showed off the Skunk Works’ concept for the Speed Racer, an expendably cheap uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) that will soon be teamed with F-35s for a demonstration called Project Carrera.

For the first time, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) and Kratos executives talked about their competing and similar proposals for a middle layer of Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s vision of so-called Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (see page 22). GA-ASI’s Gambit and Kratos’ Demigorgon would be families of UAS in the 10,000-lb. class that share a common chassis—consisting of a keel, landing gear, power systems, mission computer and avionics—but integrate different airframes, wings, inlets, engines and payloads depending on the mission.

Boeing’s exhibit booth at the Air Force event showed off images of the Australian-built MQ-28 Ghost Bat UAS. Instead of swapping airframes and engines for different missions, the MQ-28 would be fitted with different nose-mounted radomes to accommodate different payloads. Finally, Blue Force Technologies, a small, North Carolina-based company, displayed a model for the first time of the Fury UAS, which the Air Force is building to demonstrate as an artificial-intelligence (AI)--piloted adversary air platform. The Fury also offers a removable nose section to accommodate different payloads.

All of these concepts are being advertised as Air Force leaders are still far from describing specifically what they are seeking in one or many types of CCA. Although the Air Force is preparing to launch a program of record for the CCA in the fiscal 2024 budget, service leaders do not know exactly what capabilities for an AI-piloted CCA would be possible by a desired fielding date in the early 2030s nor how many such aircraft would be needed overall or per squadron.

[snip]
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I understand "Ghost Bat", but what's the deal with the US-style "MQ-28" designation? Along with designating the Wedgetail as E-7A, is Australia trying to start their own US-style designation system?
 
Robert said:
I understand "Ghost Bat", but what's the deal with the US-style "MQ-28" designation? Along with designating the Wedgetail as E-7A, is Australia trying to start their own US-style designation system?
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It was named here:

boeing.mediaroom.com

Boeing’s Australian-Produced Uncrewed Aircraft to be Named ‘MQ-28A Ghost Bat’

AUSTRALIA, March 21, 2022 – Boeing [NYSE:BA] Australia congratulates the Australian Government and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on their selection of ‘MQ-28A Ghost Bat’ as the military...
boeing.mediaroom.com boeing.mediaroom.com

I think you will find it is in part because it is a US company developing, albeit their Australian arm + a desire to braden its appeal both in the USA and elsewhere. This is reinforced by the following in the recently released DSR with my emphasis added:

MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a sovereign autonomous air vehicle designed to operate as part of an integrated system of crewed and uncrewed aircraft and space-based capabilities. MQ-28A is intended to be an attritable platform, which costs less than a crewed platform, and can be replaced rapidly. This program should be a priority for collaborative development with the United States.
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Potentially an example of things going from Australia to the USA (& UK?) under AUKUS?
 
GTX said:
Robert said:
I understand "Ghost Bat", but what's the deal with the US-style "MQ-28" designation? Along with designating the Wedgetail as E-7A, is Australia trying to start their own US-style designation system?
Click to expand...
It was named here:

boeing.mediaroom.com

Boeing’s Australian-Produced Uncrewed Aircraft to be Named ‘MQ-28A Ghost Bat’

AUSTRALIA, March 21, 2022 – Boeing [NYSE:BA] Australia congratulates the Australian Government and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on their selection of ‘MQ-28A Ghost Bat’ as the military...
boeing.mediaroom.com boeing.mediaroom.com

I think you will find it is in part because it is a US company developing, albeit their Australian arm + a desire to braden its appeal both in the USA and elsewhere. This is reinforced by the following in the recently released DSR with my emphasis added:

MQ-28A Ghost Bat is a sovereign autonomous air vehicle designed to operate as part of an integrated system of crewed and uncrewed aircraft and space-based capabilities. MQ-28A is intended to be an attritable platform, which costs less than a crewed platform, and can be replaced rapidly. This program should be a priority for collaborative development with the United States.
Click to expand...
Potentially an example of things going from Australia to the USA (& UK?) under AUKUS?
Click to expand...

Interesting, thanks for the insight!
 

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