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Boeing Says MQ-28 Ghost Bat Passed Radar Cross‑Section Tests

The company says test data will guide survivability assessments, procurement decisions and tactics for the uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft.

Boeing's testing MQ-28's radar detectability.
The MQ-28 Ghost Bat during Radar Cross Section testing in the anechoic chamber. (Image credit: Boeing)
Pictured is a U.S. Navy photo of an MQ-28 Ghost Bat, which Boeing said recently made three operational flights over the Pacific Ocean.

Overview

  • Boeing announced on June 1 that RCS testing validated the MQ-28’s reduced radar signature and said the results show the design lowers the distance at which enemy radars can detect and engage the aircraft.
  • The RCS work adds to recent program milestones, following December 2025 live firing of an AIM‑120 in a manned–unmanned teaming scenario and three operational flights at Point Mugu disclosed by Boeing in May.
  • Boeing framed RCS testing as producing objective, repeatable data to validate engineering models, support certification and help militaries set tactics and countermeasures for contested airspace.
  • Key public gaps remain: Boeing has not released numerical RCS measurements, it has not specified which airframes or software blocks were tested at Point Mugu, and U.S. service involvement or follow‑on allied buys have not been made public.
  • Australia has already funded six Block 2 MQ‑28s and a Block 3 prototype, and the RCS claim could strengthen export marketing and operational planning for crews who will use the platform for surveillance, electronic warfare and weapons missions.