Boeing Defence Australia’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat is set to take part in Exercise Valiant Shield 2026, according to Pacific Air Forces. The production-representative test aircraft will operate during the biennial exercise in the Indo-Pacific, where U.S. and allied forces will evaluate collaborative combat aircraft operations alongside crewed fighter platforms.
“The future of airpower is a partnership between our greatest assets: our skilled warfighters and the technology that empowers them,” U.S. Air Force Maj. Daniel Pesich, Experimental Operations Unit collaborative combat aircraft detachment officer in charge, said. “By advancing human-machine teaming, we are increasing our power projection while building a more resilient, capable, and lethal joint force.”
During the exercise, the MQ-28 is expected to take part in defensive and offensive counter-air missions as the Air Force studies how semi-autonomous aircraft can support crewed platforms. Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) are designed to operate under human oversight, and the service said a human operator will remain involved in critical decisions.
Valiant Shield brings together multinational forces for training across air, land, sea and cyberspace mission areas.
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