Boeing Trains First Australian MQ-28A Pilot

A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) member has taken control of Boeing’s MQ-28A Ghost Bat for the first time.

The Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, formerly the Boeing Airpower Teaming System (ATS), is a stealth, multirole, unmanned combat aerial vehicle developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force. As a Loyal Wingman class aircraft, it serves as a force multiplier, flying alongside crewed aircraft in an integrated system with space-based capabilities, and can perform autonomous missions using artificial intelligence.

Wing Commander (WGCDR) Phil Parsons, an experienced remote systems pilot with over a decade of experience, became the first non-Boeing pilot to operate the MQ-28A after completing Boeing’s training on June 13.

WGCDR Parsons, in his role as a launch and recovery operator, is responsible for overseeing the ground preparation, take-off, and landing operations of the MQ-28A. The aircraft is designed to work in conjunction with piloted aircraft through an "operator-in-the-loop" approach.

According to Glen Ferguson, Boeing Defence Australia's MQ-28 program director, a launch and recovery operator like Parsons would manage the aircraft during take-off before handing it off to a crewed aircraft, such as the E-7A, F-35A, or F/A-18F, to execute tasks like intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.

Upon completion of its mission, the MQ-28A would be returned to the launch and recovery operator for landing procedures.

Parsons' training involved monitoring the aircraft as it executed commands such as climbing, descending, accelerating, decelerating, and navigating to specific waypoints, all critical components of the advanced testing program currently underway.

Boeing's co-development program with the RAAF is progressing, with the current focus shifting from testing the aircraft’s flying and handling qualities to advancing its capabilities, including teamwork behaviors, mission systems, sensors, and payload testing.