The Avalon International Airshow 2023 saw the first public appearance of the top secret Boeing MQ-28A Ghost Bat (Wikipedia). It is a new autonomous artificial intelligence self-controlled combat aircraft. I tried to interview some of the Boeing staff at the Airshow, but none were willing to be seen on camera, and none seemed to know anything about it. It is shrouded in secrecy. The few details I could get included that it was developed by Boeing Australia for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It is named after an Australian species of bat (Wikipedia). It’s stealth. It exists.
Why is this aircraft special? It’s likely to change the balance of aerial power in the Pacific region. It will be able to project power beyond what human physiology would allow – doing it remotely and far beyond Australia’s borders. It’s likely to cause outrage from Beijing.
So far, I haven’t seen it fly. I assume it does. I’d love to see it in the air. These images are available for sale via the Travel Photos Archive.