Paris Air Show 2025: Boeing discussing Ghost Bat with UK

Boeing feels its Ghost Bat could satisfy a requirement for unmanned collaborative combat aircraft. (Boeing)

Boeing has held discussions with the United Kingdom regarding its MQ-28 Ghost Bat as part of a wider international interest being shown in the unmanned ‘loyal wingman'.

Speaking to Janes and other defence media at the Paris Air Show 2025, interim president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS), Steve Parker, said that as “the most advanced CCA [collaborative combat aircraft]” in terms of its development, the Ghost Bat could be a fit for separate UK Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy (RN) requirements, at the same time as potentially suiting those of other countries.

“We are seeing a lot of interest [in the Ghost Bat] from around the globe, back in the US as well as Europe. Without going to specifics, I think if a nation wants to have a sovereign capability from a CCA perspective that's mature, this capability is coming and we are at the forefront of this revolution,” Parker said, adding, “The UK is certainly somebody we're talking to, but I don't have any further details to share on that at the moment.”

In UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) parlance, a CCA is referred to as an Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP). The UK has two ACP requirements that could conceivably be satisfied by the Ghost Bat, with the RAF looking to field the unmanned adjuncts that sit outside of the scope of the manned fighter aircraft of the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) and the RN looking for a future carrierborne ACP capability under its Project Vixen.