The MQ-28A Ghost Bat is the first combat aircraft produced in Australia in over 50 years.
And that hawkishness in Australia is turning into big money for U.S.-based companies like Boeing, which generated about $62 billion in revenue last year.
“As air warfare grows more complex and more sophisticated, remotely piloted aircraft and other uncrewed platforms are becoming increasingly vital assets for modern militaries,” Australian Defense Minister Dutton said in a statementDutton unveiled the new name during a ceremony at RAAF Base Amberley in the state of Queensland where the politician hinted at what makes the Ghost Bat so potentially useful in war.
“This new capability allows us to introduce more mass into the battlespace. An adversarial aircraft would not only have to contend with our crewed capability, but also numbers of uncrewed aircraft such as the MQ-28A Ghost Bat,” Dutton said.“The three test flight series have been successful and with a range of 3,700 kilometers, it complements our deterrence objective to hold a potential adversary’s forces and infrastructure at risk from a greater distance.
And while Dutton’s been pushing hard in Australia for more military projects in the country, he may not have much time left to influence the direction of Australia’s drones. The conservative government down under is up for re-election in May and Dutton’s Liberal Party is not doing well so far in the polls.