Boeing offers MQ-28 Ghost Bat as Japan builds a drone-based coastal defense

The useful part

Search Japan weighs Ghost Bat drone for its coastal defense plan News Aviation By Gu Min Chul Sep 7, 2026 Modified date: Sep 7, 2026 MQ-28 Ghost Bat, on Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, June 25, 2026. Airbus is also considering entering Japan's drone market, with U.S., European and Japanese defense contractors competing for the program, according to Nikkei.

How it works

• Boeing plans to offer Japan's Ministry of Defense a drone it developed jointly with the Royal Australian Air Force, as Tokyo works out a new coastal defense concept built around unmanned aircraft, according...
• The aircraft is designed to fly alongside crewed fighter jets, connected over a network so it can share sensor data and extend a manned aircraft's reach without putting another pilot at risk.
• and Taiwan separately agreed in 2023 to share real-time drone data to support defense coordination in the Pacific, and the U.S.
• confirmed in 2024 that Japan would formally join its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, the American effort behind the broader loyal wingman concept the Ghost Bat is designed around.
• This summer, a Ghost Bat completed flight tests at Naval Air Station Point Mugu in California wearing a new two-tone gray camouflage scheme and carrying, for the first time, an infrared search and track...

What to take from it

Boeing is now building nine Block 2 aircraft as a transitional version and has said it plans an enlarged Block 3 model with an internal weapons bay and longer range. Coverage is based on open sources, official releases, and direct reporting. Boeing's defense division president, Steve Parker, told Nikkei the company will propose its MQ-28 Ghost Bat drone to the ministry.

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• Nikkei reported that European rival Airbus is also weighing whether to enter Japan's drone market, as American, European and Japanese defense contractors compete for position ahead of the ministry's coastal...
• Russian warship gets building-style camo after drone strikes Maritime Security Sep 14, 2026 Israeli Eitan spotted with active protection system in training Army Sep 14, 2026 Chinese-made ballistic missile...

Details worth keeping

The Ghost Bat, formerly known as the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, was developed by Boeing's Australian subsidiary together with the Royal Australian Air Force as a stealthy, roughly 12-meter (39-foot) unmanned aircraft that can operate autonomously or in coordination with piloted jets.. Boeing partnered with German firm Rheinmetall in March to offer the Ghost Bat to Germany's air force for its own unmanned fighter requirement. Navy's carrier-based unmanned fighter program.

Related coverage

• Nikkei: Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy and NEC team on defense drones
• Asiatimes: Japan's rush to field interceptor drones marks a sharp break with its traditionally slow-moving defense procurement system as it prepares for a battlefield increasingly dominated by cheap, expendable...
• Defence Blog: Japan's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency has signed a mass-production contract with Terra Drone Corporation for an interceptor drone designated Terra B1, the agency announced August 25.