Germany abandons direct purchase of MQ-28 Ghost Bat — Breaking Defense

Germany’s Ministry of Defence has informed Boeing that it does not plan to directly purchase MQ-28 Ghost Bat unmanned aerial vehicles. A representative of the American company told Breaking Defense about this.

Procurement plans are being reviewed

A Boeing representative said that Germany’s defence ministry had informed the company of its decision not to acquire the aircraft. Boeing referred questions about the reasons for this decision to Germany’s Ministry of Defence.

The ministry declined to disclose information about potential procurement projects, citing procurement and government contract rules, as well as the need for such matters to be reviewed by parliament beforehand.

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The programme timeline may change

Germany had previously aimed to receive Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA, by 2029. Such unmanned aircraft are intended to operate alongside fighter jets and carry out strike missions. The publication notes that this schedule is now in doubt.

According to Politico, Germany may obtain this capability only in the early 2030s, while aircraft testing is expected to begin in 2027. Boeing said it is ready to support the German customer regarding further steps.

Potential participants in the future selection include Germany’s Helsing with the CA-1 Europa, a joint Airbus and Kratos U740-Valkyrie project, as well as General Atomics with unmanned aircraft from the Gambit family.