{"id":28617124,"date":"2026-10-18T21:20:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T19:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/germany-mq-28-ghost-bat-direct-purchase-dropped-cca-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T21:20:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T19:20:27","slug":"germany-mq-28-ghost-bat-direct-purchase-dropped-cca-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/germany-mq-28-ghost-bat-direct-purchase-dropped-cca-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Germany Drops Direct MQ-28 Ghost Bat Purchase"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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In March, Rheinmetall and Boeing signed up to bring the MQ-28 Ghost Bat to Germany; in June, it was shown at ILA Berlin with a bigger wing and new German partners. This week Berlin quietly took it off the table.<\/p>\r\n<p>The German Ministry of Defence has formally told Boeing it will not directly procure the MQ-28, a Boeing spokesperson confirmed to Breaking Defense on 16 October. The decision was first reported by Politico. Boeing referred all questions about the reasons to the ministry. The ministry, in turn, said nothing about reasons at all.<\/p>\r\n<p>What is left is a competition without a favourite, and a deadline that is slipping. Germany wanted a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) flying beside its <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/eurofighter-typhoon\/\">Eurofighter Typhoons<\/a> by 2029. According to Politico, that capability now arrives in the early 2030s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>What happened:<\/strong> Germany's Ministry of Defence informed Boeing it will not directly procure the MQ-28 Ghost Bat<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Confirmed:<\/strong> 16 October 2026, by a Boeing spokesperson to Breaking Defense; first reported by Politico<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Ministry position:<\/strong> No comment on procurement projects, citing procurement law and the need to address such matters in parliament first<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Old target:<\/strong> A German CCA in service by 2029<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>New outlook:<\/strong> Early 2030s, with aircraft tests from 2027 (Politico)<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Likely rivals:<\/strong> Helsing CA-1 Europa, Airbus\/Kratos U740 Valkyrie, General Atomics Gambit family<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What Berlin said, and what it did not<\/h2>\r\n<p>The ministry's statement is a model of German administrative precision: it confirms nothing and explains why it confirms nothing. Boeing, for its part, said only that it \"stands ready to support\" its German customer on next steps.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;This is due to regulations concerning procurement and public contracting law, as well as the requirement that such matters first be addressed by parliament.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>German Ministry of Defence spokesperson<\/strong> &mdash; statement to Breaking Defense, 16 October 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>Read the wording carefully. Boeing's account is that Germany will not be <em>directly<\/em> procuring the Ghost Bat. That closes the fast lane, a straight buy of a mature Australian design, but it does not on its own exclude Boeing from a later competition. Breaking Defense reports that the tests starting in 2027 will give Boeing and its rivals the chance to fight for the eventual CCA contract.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/mq-28-ghost-bat-takeoff-valiant-shield-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Boeing Defence Australia MQ-28 Ghost Bat taking off during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 on Rota\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a production-representative test aircraft, takes off during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 on Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands, June 2026. Operational maturity was the core of the German pitch. Photo: U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman Adrien Tran \/ public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The pitch that was supposed to win<\/h2>\r\n<p>The Ghost Bat's argument in Germany was simple: it exists. Developed by Boeing Defence Australia for the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/royal-australian-air-force\/\">Royal Australian Air Force<\/a>, it first flew at Woomera on 27 February 2021. On 8 December 2025 an MQ-28A fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM and destroyed a target drone while working as a wingman to an <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/e-7-wedgetail\/\">E-7 Wedgetail<\/a> and an <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/fa-18-super-hornet\/\">F\/A-18F Super Hornet<\/a>. Australia then ordered six more Block 2 aircraft and a Block 3 prototype.<\/p>\r\n<p>Germany came calling in spring. On 27 March 2026, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in Australia that the Ghost Bat was \"under consideration\", and four days later Rheinmetall announced it would act as system manager for a German MQ-28, responsible for integration, national adaptation and support.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"max-width:550px;margin:0 auto 28px\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?id=2038937545560490182&theme=light\" style=\"width:100%;height:400px;border:none;overflow:hidden\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>At ILA Berlin on 10 June, Boeing unveiled a 25 per cent larger wing, maximum take-off weight up from about 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) to about 5,400 kg (12,000 lb), and an internal bay for two AMRAAMs or four Small Diameter Bombs. Diehl Defence and Rohde &amp; Schwarz joined the German team. The promise was explicit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;We're bringing together the best of Australian and German innovation to be able to deliver the MQ-28 to the Luftwaffe by 2029.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Amy List<\/strong> &mdash; Vice President and Managing Director, Boeing Defence Australia, ILA Berlin, June 2026, as reported by The Next Web<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>Rheinmetall chief executive Armin Papperger said at the time that final contract talks with Berlin would need to begin in 2027 to meet that date. The timetable now runs the other way: testing in 2027, capability in the early 2030s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eqvJz89IEdg\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic\">Defence Australia footage of the MQ-28A Ghost Bat's first air-to-air missile launch, the AIM-120 shot of December 2025.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Who is left in the race<\/h2>\r\n<p>Three contenders stand out. The home team is Helsing, the German AI defence company, with its CA-1 Europa, which the firm says will be ready for operations by 2029. A full-size mock-up stood outside Helsing's chalet at ILA in June.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/helsing-ca-1-europa-mock-up-ila-berlin-2026.jpg\" alt=\"Helsing CA-1 Europa combat drone mock-up in front of the Helsing chalet at ILA Berlin 2026\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">The Helsing CA-1 Europa mock-up at ILA Berlin 2026. Helsing is the home-grown contender for the Luftwaffe CCA. Photo: Oddlief \/ Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p>Airbus and Kratos offer the U740 Valkyrie, an XQ-58A airframe with Airbus's MARS mission system. Its first flight in Europe was announced on 12 October, and Airbus said the milestone confirms the team is on track for a combat-ready CCA by 2029. As Afterburner reported, the European mission system was not yet integrated for that flight. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems could also offer an aircraft from its Gambit family; a company spokesperson told Breaking Defense in June that it had \"spoken to Germany many, many times\".<\/p>\r\n<p>Behind all of it sits the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/german-air-force\/\">Luftwaffe<\/a>'s real problem. The <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/panavia-tornado\/\">Tornado<\/a> is retiring, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-35-lightning-ii\/\">F-35As<\/a> are on order, and the Franco-German FCAS fighter is not expected before the mid-2030s. A drone wingman was meant to bridge that gap.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why it matters<\/h2>\r\n<p>Germany would have been the first European country to field a CCA. That claim is now open to anyone, and the 2027 test campaign has become the real selection event. For Boeing, the setback lands just as it courts Japan and builds a European supplier base with Leonardo and Hensoldt.<\/p>\r\n<p>Berlin has not said why it changed course. But the field it is left with leans European: a German start-up, a European prime with an American airframe, and an American firm with its Gambit family. Whether any of them can quickly match what the Ghost Bat already has, years of flight testing and a live missile shot, is the question the 2027 trials will answer.<\/p>\r\n<p><em>Sources: Breaking Defense, Politico (via Breaking Defense), UA.News, Aerohaber, The War Zone, AeroTime, Defence Connect, The Next Web, Wikipedia (Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat)<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>Has Germany cancelled plans to buy the MQ-28 Ghost Bat?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes, in part. A Boeing spokesperson told Breaking Defense on 16 October 2026 that Germany's Ministry of Defence had informed Boeing it will not directly procure the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. The decision was first reported by Politico. The ministry declined to discuss it, citing procurement law and the requirement to address such matters in parliament first.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why did Germany drop the direct MQ-28 Ghost Bat purchase?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No official reason has been given. Boeing referred questions about the reasons to the German Ministry of Defence, which said it cannot provide information about potential procurement projects because of procurement and public contracting law and because such matters must first be addressed by parliament. Any explanation beyond that would be speculation.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When will Germany get a collaborative combat aircraft?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Germany had aimed to field a collaborative combat aircraft, or drone wingman, by 2029, which would have made it the first European country to do so. According to Politico, as cited by Breaking Defense, Berlin will now wait until the early 2030s, with aircraft tests starting in 2027 that give competing manufacturers a chance to win the contract.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which drones could Germany choose instead of the MQ-28 Ghost Bat?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Breaking Defense names three likely contenders: Helsing's CA-1 Europa, which the German company says will be ready for operations by 2029; the Airbus and Kratos U740 Valkyrie, which made its first flight in Europe in October 2026; and an aircraft from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Gambit family. Boeing may still compete in the 2027 tests.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What was Rheinmetall's role in the German MQ-28 Ghost Bat offer?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">On 31 March 2026, Rheinmetall announced a partnership with Boeing Defence Australia to offer the MQ-28 Ghost Bat to the Bundeswehr. Rheinmetall would have acted as system manager in Germany, handling integration into German command and weapon systems, national adaptation, and operational, maintenance and logistical support. Diehl Defence and Rohde and Schwarz joined at ILA Berlin in June.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Has the MQ-28 Ghost Bat fired a missile?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. On 8 December 2025 an MQ-28A Ghost Bat fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM that destroyed a Phoenix target drone at the Woomera range in Australia. The drone was working as a wingman to a Royal Australian Air Force E-7 Wedgetail and an F\/A-18F Super Hornet, with its operator aboard the E-7.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Has Germany cancelled plans to buy the MQ-28 Ghost Bat?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Yes, in part. A Boeing spokesperson told Breaking Defense on 16 October 2026 that Germany's Ministry of Defence had informed Boeing it will not directly procure the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. The decision was first reported by Politico. The ministry declined to discuss it, citing procurement law and the requirement to address such matters in parliament first.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did Germany drop the direct MQ-28 Ghost Bat purchase?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No official reason has been given. 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The drone was working as a wingman to a Royal Australian Air Force E-7 Wedgetail and an F\/A-18F Super Hornet, with its operator aboard the E-7.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/rheinmetall-signs-up-for-ghost-bat\/\">Rheinmetall Signs Up for Ghost Bat<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/airbus-u740-valkyrie-first-flight-europe-kratos-cca\/\">Airbus U740 Valkyrie: First Flight for Europe's Combat Drone<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/airbus-ravenstorm-helsing-ca-1ea-europe-combat-drones-ila-2026\/\">Europe Rolls Out Its Robot Wingmen<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/boeing-mq-28-ghost-bat-leonardo-european-partner-farnborough-2026\/\">Europe Quietly Joins the Ghost Bat<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share this story Seven months ago it was the front-runner. In March, Rheinmetall and Boeing signed up to bring the MQ-28 Ghost Bat to Germany; in June, it was shown at ILA Berlin with a bigger wing and new German partners. This week Berlin quietly took it off the table. The German Ministry of Defence [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":28617075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28617124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Germany Drops Direct MQ-28 Ghost Bat Purchase | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"MQ-28 Ghost Bat Germany: Berlin tells Boeing it will not buy the drone wingman directly. 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