Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] MQ-28 Ghost Bat has participated in Exercise Valiant Shield alongside F-35A, F-35B, F-15EX, HC-130, E-3, E-2D, EA-18G, RC-135, and various other joint and coalition aircraft, becoming the first and only collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) deployed to a multinational, joint operational exercise.
During Valiant Shield 2026 in June, the Australian-developed MQ-28 Ghost Bat integrated with forces from the U.S. Pacific Command to support the U.S. Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit’s CCA integration objectives.
An MQ-28 Ghost Bat and a U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II are pictured together during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 over the Philippine Sea, demonstrating the future of human-machine teaming in the theater.
The aircraft participated alongside crewed platforms as they refined tactics, techniques, and procedures around the Marianas Island Range Complex in the Western Pacific region. Such exercises are critical to ensuring the interoperability and interchangeability of the MQ-28 and to proving the ability to deploy and integrate into a joint force.
“Having MQ-28 participate in such a significant military training exercise is a first, and this is just the start of demonstrating how advanced human-machine teaming extends the reach and awareness of crewed platforms and enhances joint force operations,” said Steve Parker, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
“We’ve proven that it’s combat-capable and now the U.S. military, along with allied and partner forces, is able to test it first-hand and experience the value and advantage that CCA brings to the force mix.”
As part of Boeing’s broader family of systems, the MQ-28 has been developed using open mission systems and government reference architectures that enable defense forces to rapidly integrate sovereign payloads to meet their specific mission requirements. It is designed to team with 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-generation aircraft to enhance the capabilities of the entire fleet.
“MQ-28 Ghost Bat is the most proven, mature CCA in allied nations, and this latest demonstration highlights our readiness to bring this Australian-developed capability to global air forces,” said Amy List, vice president and managing director, Boeing Defense Australia.
Valiant Shield is a biennial exercise focused on integrating the joint force and fostering real-world proficiency in detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace across a range of mission areas.
