Boeing says MQ-28 Ghost Bat cleared radar stealth checks in flight test chamber

Boeing said it has validated another stealth-related capability for its MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft, reporting that radar cross-section (RCS) testing showed the platform is designed to be harder for enemy sensors to detect and engage. The company described the work as a “stealth performance” milestone, part of broader efforts to mature the unmanned system for operations alongside crewed aircraft in contested airspace.

In its announcement dated June 1, Boeing said engineers evaluated MQ-28’s radar detectability inside a Boeing test chamber using RCS methodology. RCS - an engineering measure of how detectable an object is by radar - depends on aircraft orientation relative to radar. Boeing noted that among the angles examined were “pitch” (elevation), “azimuth” (nose-to-tail measurement), and “roll” (rotation around the aircraft).

Boeing said the RCS testing was designed to produce “objective, repeatable data” about survivability and detection risks. The information, the company said, is intended to validate designs and models, support procurement and certification, and inform tactics as well as countermeasure choices. Boeing also said the MQ-28’s RCS is meant to reduce the range at which enemy radars can detect and target the aircraft, enhancing survivability in high-threat environments.

The MQ-28 Ghost Bat is being positioned as an unmanned complement to crewed aircraft rather than a replacement. Boeing said the platform is intended to perform roles including surveillance, electronic warfare, and “force multiplication,” while maintaining a low radar profile. Boeing also linked the stealth work to what it described as mission effectiveness improvements enabled by “advanced autonomy and artificial intelligence.”

Boeing Aerospace Australia leadership tied the stealth validation to operational flexibility. Brad Thompson, director for Phantom Works Australia, said in the company’s statement that combining “a highly capable platform, stealth features, advanced autonomy and artificial intelligence” gives air forces greater ability to extend mission effectiveness and operational flexibility.

Beyond stealth validation, Boeing used the announcement to emphasize program maturity. The company said MQ-28 began development in 2017 and completed its first flight in 2021, with more than 150 flights to date and multiple flight demonstrations. On Boeing’s Australia program page, the company added additional development detail, including that the first flight was achieved in February 2021 and that, by March 2025, prototypes had flown more than 100 test flights supported by over 20,000 hours of digital testing.

Boeing has also described MQ-28’s path toward operationally relevant testing as focused on teaming with crewed platforms. On its Australia site, Boeing said the flight test program is set to culminate in a series of demonstrations in 2025 that include MQ-28 aircraft teaming with crewed assets such as the E-7 and F-35. In the company’s view, the exercise is intended to help confirm how the unmanned aircraft fits into real-world mission sets rather than only proving individual subsystems.

Industry and investor context suggests Boeing’s MQ-28 work is increasingly moving from engineering validation toward production readiness and integration. In its 2024 annual report, Boeing said that during 2024, Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force advanced the MQ-28 development and testing program, finalized design, began production of an additional three “Block 2” aircraft (a production and configuration step that adds updated hardware/software baselines compared with earlier blocks), and broke ground on a new production facility in Australia, with an emphasis on proving mission systems to deliver an operational capability.

Boeing did not disclose quantitative RCS outcomes - such as the measured values, radar frequencies, threat model specifics, or how the results compare against specific adversary radar types - in its June 1 statement. That omission matters because radar signature performance can vary with antenna type, aspect angle, operating geometry, and the aircraft’s material and configuration state. The company also did not provide a timeline for contracting milestones or deliveries tied directly to the RCS validation, leaving the operational significance to be inferred from the broader development plan.

What to watch next is whether the RCS validation holds up as MQ-28 progresses from chamber-based signature testing into integrated mission demonstrations with crewed platforms. Boeing’s own messaging points toward teaming trials in 2025 and toward Block 2 production activity, where survivability and detection risk will ultimately be judged not only by laboratory metrics but also by how the unmanned aircraft performs in contested, electronically stressed operational environments. For air forces evaluating collaborative combat aircraft, the next updates are likely to focus on mission systems integration, autonomy performance in realistic scenarios, and how stealth and countermeasures interact during operational testing.