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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged an additional $454 million to purchase another seven Boeing Loyal Wingman uncrewed aircraft.
Speaking at a Coalition campaign launch in Brisbane on Sunday, Morrison stated that, if elected, the party will bolster Australia’s Loyal Wingman fleet by “a further seven aircraft”.
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The move could bring Australia’s future Loyal Wingman – now referred to by its formal name MQ-28A Ghost Bat – fleet to a total of 13.
“World-leading, first of class, the investment will fund the build of a further seven aircraft, and the establishment of more than 120 additional highly skilled engineering and other technology jobs, particularly right here in Brisbane,” Prime Minister Morrison said.
A Boeing spokesperson said, “We welcome the announcement by the Australian government to further invest in the development of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat.
“We will continue to partner with Royal Australian Air Force to accelerate the program and advance the uncrewed teaming capability.”
The half-billion-dollar investment joins an earlier $155 million investment in six Ghost Bat platforms.
The Loyal Wingman program, first unveiled to the world in May 2020, marks the first military aircraft to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years.
The joint project between Boeing Australia and the RAAF was formally dubbed ‘Ghost Bat’ earlier this year in a nod to its Australian roots, reflecting “an Australian native mammal known for teaming together in a pack to detect and hunt”, according to the Boeing director responsible for the AI platform’s development, Glen Ferguson.
The next-generation uncrewed aerial system is set to be designed, engineered and manufactured locally from Boeing Australia’s new facility at Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba, Queensland.
The platform measures 11.7 metres long, has a range of 2,000 nautical miles and can deliver fighter-like performance, while also offering intelligence capabilities. It also uses AI to help both manned and unmanned aircraft in mid-air, hence the early Australian project name Loyal Wingman.
In November, Boeing announced that two Ghost Bat prototypes completed separate test flights in South Australia’s Woomera Range Complex, in the biggest milestone yet for the program.
It came after the Loyal Wingman’s first successful test flight in February 2021.
So far, in excess of 35 local companies have worked on the program such as Whitehorse and Form 2000 – two Australian SMEs that partnered on the manufacture build-to-print components of the aircraft. Other companies include Ferra Engineering, AME Systems, Allied Data Systems and Microelectronic Technologies.
Greg
says:I reckon we could do with a lot more than 13, and we could afford more than just 13, since they saved $1.3 billion when they cancelled the MQ-9B SkyGuardian acquisition, but it’s better than nothing I guess.
ST
says:Does the Ghost Bat carry any weapons? So many new acquisitions are either unarmed or don’t work.
CJ
says:People should look up Urban Dictionary for that name – Ghost Bat